Tangents
by Knight Watcher
Summary: Closer to Cadmus, closer to Huntress, but that is only the beginning. Question/Huntress story.
1. Masks

Question had seen what had befallen Earth as a result of the unknown variables that each of the seven brought to the first roster of the Justice League. It is of course not unforeseen that just one going rogue or having conflicting mindsets would compromise the team and by extension the team's global reputation. Superman's going rogue incident a few years back had left him in the hot spot to this day because all it takes is a single slip to topple the people's belief, faith, or trust.

Whatever the word is, once lost it is nigh impossible to regain unless one forgives or instead weighs everything else against the slip. Many had forgiven or seen that he is repentant or seeking redemption yet plenty in the shadows had not forgotten and definitely had not forgiven him either.

* * *

Superman's greatest ally in Metropolis paid the ultimate price for his loyalty to the Man of Steel and for his city.

The headstone calls this man **Earth's Greatest Hero**. His name is Daniel Turpin.

* * *

The two had not gotten along at first, but in discovering the real source of Intergang's unseen supplier, they found that the edge had come from an off-world entity, the merciless conqueror from Apokolips, and they did stop that foothold scenario. Darkseid however had not given up so easily because Superman's defiance and his uncompromising morality had only given incense to Darkseid to attempt to breach Earth's defenses again through Metropolis.

The second incursion comes again through Intergang using Apokolipitian weaponry again and one device in particular is shown to be powerful enough to make Superman bleed, which at the time had only been possible through Kryptonite. However this is also when another off-world party enters the fray, an alien known as Orion, and he is a somewhat random element aside from providing some insight into why Darkseid is still after Earth. He returns because of Superman's resistance, because conquest is persisting tendency, and it is rarely a thrill anymore because too often does he have victory by a show of force alone.

A device is taken to Ayers Island Nuclear Power Plant, which at first sounds like a mouthful, but Ayers Island would be literally taken off the map thanks to the device. The hover tank battle at the Air Force Base had been a diversion and even with Orion's assistance Superman only stalls the progress of the second incursion. Orion's departure at first is inconvenient, but this battle is too heavy for Earth to face alone even with one Kryptonian on their side. Once en route to Ayers, he is given pause by a fight with Steppenwolf, the chosen herald sent to lead the invasion of Earth, and for once Metropolis sees their iconic hero in the fight of his life against waves of Parademons that awaken memories of dark things.

Dark things from any religion throughout the world and seeing the Parademons had made it clear that Earth needs heroes even at this hour. Detective Daniel Turpin and the SWAT would come to Superman's aid and so Superman is given the opening to get to Ayers. Ayers Island had been blown up in order to turn Earth into another Apokolips yet Superman's speed is the only thing that deflects that effort in making fissures in the underwater rock bed near the crater left behind by the explosion. The effort to drain the away the nuclear overload had left him weak and so Darkseid struck at that moment.

Superman's unwillingness to compromise earns him a few rounds with Darkseid's Omega Beams and usually as Question found out later, nobody can survive that, well almost nobody, but of course Darkseid also made a point of telling the Kryptonian one last thing before taking him into the city. A baffling chess analogy that probably went along the lines of if Superman would not be his 'knight', then he would be his 'pawn', and somehow nobody thought it would ever happen, least of all Superman. The strange overshadowing tank arrives at the heart of the battle for Metropolis.

* * *

Turpin very much in the thick of things saves James Olson from an untimely death by Parademon and Lois Lane looks on in horror to see her pillar of a man beaten to a bloody pulp. His behavior lives up to the moniker Man of Steel at that dark hour, but of course Darkseid makes the error of taunting those there to see what he had done to Superman.

Turpin steps forward and makes his last stand. Those in the streets rally behind their brave man and in a tense moment it becomes clear that Metropolis like Superman will not bow down to Darkseid, that they rather perish from the face of the Earth for the ideals that they cherish and uphold in that moment. One could imagine Darkseid perhaps slightly admires them yet keeping in mind to break their spirits. Superman in chains could only have felt respect for all who would rally to Turpin's stand against Darkseid's invaders.

The Air Force had sent fighters against Darkseid once more and even though it seems pointless they went into the fight anyway. Turpin as seen on the news broadcasts later hefts one of the Parademon's weapons and hurls it at one of the clamps restraining Superman's hand. The Kryptonian proceeds to break free yet in the effort to break the other binds, Superman gains the receiving end of a tackle from one of Darkseid's lackeys; the heavy set one called Kalibak. Several seconds later Kalibak flops over from a well aimed punch then Superman in his tattered costume hovers up to face down his enemy.

The tension is palpable even to be watching a replay later that day, the next day, or even years later, but of course this is why Question felt respect for Superman at that eleventh hour. Multiple boom tube portals appear in the reddened sky and out come the cavalry led by Orion who had come with the full authority of Darkseid's long time enemy, Highfather as well as a sizable force to match Darkseid's. The conqueror backs down and orders his forces to return to Apokolips. Turpin's last comment did bother Darkseid yet there had been an ulterior motive as like Luthor had done and likely continue to do in the years to come.

The alien dictator desires to crack Superman's character, to make him fall, to destroy that which he represents at the core among other things, but it is clear that this route did not achieve that end.

"_**Savor your moment of triumph Superman…"**_

The Omega Beams fire again, Superman braces for impact, but Darkseid aims not for him, he aims for Turpin. Turpin lets out a brief anguished cry of pain and then nothing. Everyone reels and gasps collectively. One would imagine his injured partner Detective Maggie Sawyer had seen just as countless others watching intently on their televisions or monitors. Maggie most of all would be hurt by this death and she would not be alone in that regard. Superman turns to maul Darkseid, but the dictator slips away through the boom tube vortex.

Superman in a fit of frustration and rage descends upon the Apokolipitian super tank and turns it into a pile of unrecognizable metal. His howls are strong enough to shake the city as even the camera operators were stumbling from the backwash of his super strength punches that never miss though who could miss pummeling something that size. A camera tilts almost by accident towards Lois Lane who covers her face and mirrors the sadness she feels in the loss that Superman is obviously facing in this moment. He eventually can no longer drive himself to smash it and he falls fully to his kneels. The Man of Steel is vulnerable to more than just Kryptonite now, but this is not a 'weakness' that his enemies have gone after before or at least not in a way he had been powerless to avert at that time. Orion descends and offers his condolences.

The city could be rebuilt yet the community, the families, the people that would take longer even as they gather to collectively mourn the passing of Dan Turpin in the coming days. It is in keeping with the Turpin family's religion. If it were possible to not be moved by attending that Question or rather Vic Sage could no longer consider himself fully human, but of course he too felt the loss. Turpin might have some disreputable qualities, but on that day, nobody could say he was not a hero. All that is left of him are the memories the good, the in-between, the bad, and of course _that day_. Nobody ever forgot it entirely and the city limps on knowing that Superman would continue in Turpin's memory to look after Metropolis.

Question had made a visit at some point and wonders how Superman might have faced this occasion yet of course he would have been here, how could he not be here as Turpin had been the first to die on his watch, and once that happens you wonder _who will be the next_?

* * *

Events however took a disgusting twist once it had become clear to Luthor that Superman is missing and Supergirl had been covering for him with robots. Luthor with his stockpile of Kryptonite goes to the one man in the military that most assuredly does not like Superman, General Hardcastle. Another Apokolipitian incursion follows and the wounds are still fresh from the last one. It is true recoil to see Superman's crest upon the banners brought by the invaders led by none other than Superman himself in Apokolipitian battle armor. However it is clearly suspicious to Question at that time that Superman would do this sort of thing, something felt very wrong about it, but still Superman could not be allowed to continue to lead this assault.

Hardcastle utilizing Luthor's Kryptonite senses opportunity to waste both Superman and Supergirl. She is transparently on unsteady ground in having to fight her 'cousin' yet she does until the Kryptonite enhanced weapon appears to kill both of them. However it only brought them both to death's door and they are taken into captivity. Superman is kept in a room with red lamps made to simulate the effects of a red sun, which thanks to Luminus' mirror trick awhile back shows that Superman's energy is driven by yellow solar energy.

Lois Lane through her father General Samuel Lane learns where Superman is being kept so she intends to break him out sensing that whatever happened to him during his absence from Earth had worn off. He however by the time she finds him is about to get a lethal injection meant to finish him off except Luthor's mistake to think that he finally beat Superman is the undoing of that attempt. Luthor would have a few parting injuries for the arrogance and Kara would have to get treatment somewhere else or she would die otherwise.

They went to STAR except Hamilton fearing treason charges refuses to aid them. Superman literally threatens Hamilton. The man complies out of fear, but of course Hamilton would link this incident to the fallen angels.

He obviously went after Darkseid, but it would likely not be the last time that Apokolips would overshadow the Man of Steel.

Darkseid would not be able to kill Superman this time either, but he had however done something far worse than killing him. Metropolis and by extension the world had taken a collective blow so even the most loyal to Superman had their doubts.

* * *

"Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy/To follow still the changes of the moon/With fresh suspicions? No, to be once in doubt/Is once to be resolved."

Othello had it right more than maybe he had known yet like Othello, Superman, an alien instead of a Moor, falls prey to a similar problem. The lady lover in both situations forgives the man albeit Desdemona is killed by Othello and Superman had nearly broken Lois' heart in leading an army to attack, instead of to defend the city.

It made about as much sense as the comparisons some had drawn between him and Rorschach, sure they might dress alike, share some aspects of uncompromising ideals, but Vic could never imagine being quite the same as Rorschach or Walter Kovacs. He had not completely given his body, his mind, or even his soul to being The Question. It had given some insight into the dualism that befalls costumed heroics when the individual believes an alter ego, a disguise, another identity becomes necessary to deflect suspicion or interest away from them.

Superman and Clark Kent, a definite example, one wonders how so many are so easily fooled by a different hairstyle, fake eye glasses, and a somewhat bumbling reporter, but of course denial and obviousness are nearly predictable responses. However it does not fool everyone, of course the Kents are privy to the dualism of the two, but of course there's a firm belief that Clark Kent is closer to real man.

His Kryptonian birth parents had given him life, love, but most importantly they sent him to Earth to save him from Krypton's destruction while the Kents in informally adopting him upon his arrival built up his farm boy notions as the feisty Lois Lane would call him or more affectionately call him Smallville.

* * *

It had only been a few months prior to his so-called going Rogue incident that Clark Kent was 'killed' by a car bomb because as Kent he had gotten too close to the crooked Detective Bowman's dirty secret regarding Ernest Walker. Bowman had framed Walker for the murder and Kent only got wind of it because Perry White sent to do the story on Walker's impending execution. Something obviously got to Kent about Walker's story so the investigation as Question learns a rather rhetorical explanation about how Kent made a break in the almost rock solid conviction against Walker.

A pizza delivery was taken to Walker's place at almost the exact time that the alleged murder was committed. The question then for Kent was how Walker can be guilty if he was at home paying for pizza at the time of the murder. Bowman was the only connection between the victim and Walker. Bowman was the first one on the scene at the dead woman's residence and he framed Walker by innocuously leaving damning evidence in Walker's possession, a necklace owned by the dead woman. Kent however is taken out of the picture by Bowman, but of course as Lane discovered the eyewitness to the car plummeting into the ocean had the worst eyesight imaginable.

Her faith in Kent returning was weakened by the fact that Superman was the only half that was turning up after the car bombing. It was fortunate that he chosen to attempt reappearing as Kent, but Bowman's handiwork didn't end with the car bomb. Lane found taps in Clark's land line phone, they were police model taps, and of course Superman noticed the absence of the computer. Another bomb was planted in the apartment though this is only seen by Lois pushing around books in the bookcase. Their escape from the explosion is owed to Superman's speed.

He likely saw Bowman in the crowd below while putting out the fire that is consuming what used to be 'Clark's' apartment. Together they tricked Bowman into exposing himself. It is likely that Bowman deduced the connection between Kent and Superman, but execution by gas chamber prevented him from revealing this revelation.

As for Ernest Walker, he no longer sleeps in a five by five cell and he pays a visit to the grave of the woman that was murdered by Bowman in attempt to finally pay his respects to the woman. He also briefly saw the headstone that had Clark Kent carved into except the work crew was in the process of removing it. He ran over to be sure it was what he thought he saw except one of the workman steps him with concern for Walker's safety.

Walker is told that Kent is still alive, that he probably faked his death to dodge his would be killer, and Walker leaves with a sigh of relief. The workmen later realize they had been talking to the man that Kent got cleared for false imprisonment. The release of Ernest Walker is proof that one can make a different no matter what costume that one wears, but of course Question had come to understand that by now.

Kent's reappearance after Bowman's arrest should have clued Lois into the connection between Kent and Superman, but she bought that he swam ashore somehow though not near where the car fell into the water. She buys it because she is too stubborn to admit that the idea of Clark being dead bothered her more than anything else and of course tenuous steps towards a flirtatious romance seems to begin and as for whether or not she did work it out, that is a question indeed. Question suspects she probably knows, but somehow is allowing him to tell her when he is ready to fess up about it.

* * *

Orion had almost given him away at their first encounter except he was somewhat shook up from his journey so first he said Superman, then he said must warn Superman, so Kent could relax, but still keeping that kind of secret from billions or even just one person say Lois for instance could cost him.

It is likely that Batman had figured it out after what happen with the brief partnership of Joker and Luthor the year before Apokolips took a stronger interest in Earth and Superman.

It would prove to be problematic, but of course she had been fooled by Kara's efforts to delude people into thinking Clark and Superman were still around. However the ruse did not fool everyone and Luthor would repeatedly resent Superman's presence in Metropolis even after the second incursion.

Superman's brainwashed involvement in the third incursion was probably like getting the Man of Steel's reputation killer on a golden platter. He took it though of course more than just Superman conspired to stop him, Lois would not allow whatever Luthor was up to… to succeed, and fortunately her father had enough allies in the military as well as the government. General Lane convinced plenty that Superman was not in his right mind; that being captured and tortured by Darkseid had twisted his mind, and so they would have to wait and see how he progresses in recovery from it.

[+++]

Lane's championing for Superman had given the Kryptonian opportunity to mend and recover from the experience, but of course he never forgot what the experience meant for him, no more than those who had not forgiven would continue to view him and others like him as a threat. These few as Question saw them then and especially now are part of the conspiracy though of course the conspiracy involves the fears held about how to deal with and handle the costumes are part of their agenda. A further twist is their funding is not from government money and so the investigation into who is funding them begins though Luthor is naturally on the list.

The repentant image that Luthor exudes is not fooling him, but of course he too had seen the limited footage from the fight between the Justice 'League' and the then unidentified monster attacking Metropolis. The first thing that appears wrong about the 'League' in this quietly swept under the rug footage is the costumes. Superman's demeanor is decidedly malevolent, the costume colors are darker except the cape is white, and a wonder if the triple bands are at all significant is a question in mind. Next the Wonder Woman with him, there is no bare skin, no tiara, no high heeled boots, and the hair is shorter.

Hawkgirl looks more like a soldier than a costumed hero, which wryly ironic with more recent events involving her people, the Thanagarians, and the colors on John Stewart's costume are inverted as well as being almost sleeveless as well as bald. There is a darker look to the Martian Manhunter, but the truly stand out wrongs are where is Batman and more so where is Flash? There are no obvious answers here and so he would have to question Batman on the subject or possibly even hack the Batcomputer if that is even possible.

* * *

Nobody would answer his inquiries directly because of course it is clear that whoever fought the unaccounted for menace on that was decidedly not the Justice League, but individuals that resemble them. It likewise proves curious when there is a knock at his window, but of course Batman never believes in coming in the front door with an apartment that is several stories up. He powers down the computer, activates the shredder and shreds all the recent tangents about the doppelganger mystery as well as tangents on what the League would do to recover from the Thanagarian Occupation.

One clear notion is that they probably had Hawkgirl aka Shayera Hol left the team unless she left on her own recognizance. The latter is likelier given that Batman of all people is approaching him tonight. He opens the window after putting on the mask again. He already knows that Batman's public face is Bruce Wayne as well as Batman realizing that Question is Vic Sage, but neither really bothers to leverage the information against the other; there is nothing to gain that way. Both prefer to be without partners yet neither really gets their preference met in the field.

Batman had several costumed partners ranging from the first Robin, now Nightwing, to Batgirl, and then the second Robin whose late father had split town to dodge Two-Face, but he is likely deceased for several years now. Batman periodically had favorable working relationships with those working under Batgirl's father at the GCPD, but of course Bullock is persistently at odds with him. Bullock was not exactly the straight shooter either, but he was loyal to Gordon, his loyalty is about one of the few things that kept him on the job.

A few times when he had a case that had drawn him to Gotham, he had been indirectly drawn into working with Detective Montoya yet she seem to be open minded, but of course Batman had favorable experiences with her in the past. This is not the occasion for reminiscence and so he offers the Dark Knight Detective some coffee. They remain standing since this is not entirely a social call.

"I figure you are here to recruit me to the expanding roster Batman," says Question.

"There is an open slot for you, whether you take it is up to you, and I figure you have been tracking who has gotten visits from the six of us," answers Batman.

"It seems each of you is dodging any questions about what happen with Hawkgirl."

"She left on her own, we voted her out, but she left before we could tell her."

"I am betting Wonder Woman and you voted her out… Flash and the Martian would be more forgiving…. Stewart probably felt too close to the issue to make a clear call so the tie breaker was the Man of Steel."

Batman smirks wondering how he could have seen that one without having been there.

"Please that smirk may work on Wonder Woman or should I say _Diana_, but not even your glare bugs me anymore… as for my answer about joining… I am in, but I have other priorities besides team missions, team meetings...."

"We may be working in concert, but each of us has some sort of default… speaking of which Gotham waits for no man."

"If that is a joke, it's in poor taste… _Bruce_… I wonder when Diana had you figured, but knowing her, she probably found out before Paris."

Batman facing away from him conceals a flush at this statement.

"I have got patrol… watch your back _Vic_."

After Batman leaves, Vic returns to his computer and starts a new tangent on who or what is watching this expanding roster of the Justice League, but of course it had to be the same people and others who had come together first with Superman's rogue incident. Their paranoia would only be made deeper by the five who had been masquerading as the League at the same time of the appearance of that gray behemoth. All he had was a random name found in some errant files referring to a Greek word and the word is…

… _**Cadmus**_.

* * *

A/N 1: A sort of Question drive story begins here. This lead in chapter is mostly based on flashback content before he is approached by Batman to join the expanding roster between the events of **Starcrossed** and **Initiation**. So continuity wise this is pre-JLU, so JLU-centric content is coming.

A/N 2: Most of the flashback scenes refer to events from StAS series, which influenced the Cadmus Arc in JLU, I know much of what I write about pertains to Cadmus or Justice Lords. The two have the strongest pull in mind and series wise it is the most interesting to me.

A/N 3: Even a decade later, the final minutes of **Apokolips Now!** still make me cry, cringe, or feel some intense reaction mainly because it was the first time since Gargoyles that I saw someone get killed permanently in an animated series. So the story is again partially a character memorial to Dan Turpin.

A/N 4: Why Question? I have done much with Batman already and not so much Question. My interest in Question was raised much by seeing **Double Date** though what really changed the significance of **Question Authority** was seeing and reading Watchmen.


	2. Curves

He locks away the Pontiac in its hidden garage though likely Cadmus by now is building some sort of files about such quirks. It is time to visit the new Watchtower and get the lay of the station before the others start turning up there. The recruitment continues and some names on the list are more familiar than others, but finding who is and who is not on the list proves to be simpler because in a rather unremarkable turn their names are being put on their quarters aboard the Watchtower. He carries very little with him on the first beam up though the sensation of using the teleporter does make him uneasy at first, but it is either that of travel by one of those new Javelins mark II's.

[+++]

Batman as Flash so eloquently put it once had made the original Watchtower into a giant batarang when he took it out of orbit to smash into the Thanagarian Hyperspace Bypass Generator once the force field went down. The details on how they got the force field down is unclear, but then all the pre-Watchtower II reports are no longer available as the computers like the rest of the original station were for a time a smoldering heap in the Gobi Desert. Besides at that time nobody would be bothering with paperwork nor would anyone be likely to log reports of any kind about the Thanagarian Occupation. Flash remains the easiest to decipher most of the time, but the youngest in mind and body of the now nicknamed Original 7, does not possess the tendencies common to Superman, Wonder Woman, or even Batman.

The Watchtower II had been in the works for some time, but of course Watchtower I's destruction provides cause for Bruce Wayne to fund a replacement. This time it is much more spacious, sizable, and besides it had to be by adding not only more costumes, that is expected yet what is baffling is hiring a staff compromising of technicians, engineers, medical personnel, etc. It would give Cadmus openings to infiltrate the Watchtower, at least potentially, but Watchtower security is not exactly among Question's priorities.

The encryption lockouts on most of the computers up here prove too easy to break, but of course they were not made hard to crack as whoever made them did not see how someone could except for someone with experience with encryption sequences. Batcomputer would definitely prove more of a challenge yet even he is not ready to do that, so far Batman had not shown cause for why Question should venture down that avenue. There are several file directories, some significant, others not so much, but what made the point of hacking the system is finding out who else is joining or reluctant to join the roster.

* * *

Supergirl is too obvious with Superman already on the team from the beginning.

Next is John Henry Irons, another Metropolis denizen, goes by the moniker Steel, he is a former Lexcorp employee, and the only glaring negative in his record is the incident involving a prototype suit. The suit was meant to put Sergeant Corey Mills on even footing with Superman except Mills began exhibiting out of character behavior and even stole the suit. Irons left Lexcorp after the incident and through encouragement from Superman sought to improvise the design to avoid the mistake and it is well that he did as Metallo once again had come after Superman not long after what happen with Bowman and Walker.

Almost no familiar faces from Gotham or Bludhaven are any of the lists despite suggestions made by Flash, Diana, and even Superman to invite them to the team. Batman definitely had something to do with that, but more likely he had spoken to his infrequent partners about the possibility. It had come down to one of Batman's lines that somebody had to watch Gotham with him infrequently out of town due to League business. It would make for upsets all around though not for the same cause, but that fits with anyone who deals with Batman except for Question or rather Vic as he occasionally allows some to call him.

Next file pertains to Dinah Lance aka Black Canary, her physicality might hold some appeal to other men and there is no denying even for Question that she is a beautiful woman, but she is just not his type. As a protégé of Wildcat, she offers to be another worthwhile martial arts oriented fighter should the need arise on a mission yet she too is prone to the solo preference though is more flexible to teamwork. She would have to be if she believes in doing her part in the expanding roster and of course she could also open the door for others to follow because word gets around that the League is not that much of an exclusive club anymore, it would be more appealing to some.

John Stewart is still pressing the invite on Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow, but one wonders how many greens can a team have, at first Question chuckles at the thought, but knows Queen's finances would lighten the financial strain on Wayne to keep maintaining this larger Watchtower as well as its satellites. Batman had certainly been busy considering who to invite and besides with a growing amount of super powered beings joining forces, they would need plenty to keep them grounded less the ability and the means to do certain things went to their heads.

It would take more than simple moral obligation to compel some to stay, but the bond between the six had gone through much even before the Thanagarian Occupation yet even so no one incident can truly represent the integrity of the team's spirit. The original seven had their trials yet the trials are never at an end because someone or something is always testing them, either to break them or measure them. Whatever the case, this potential trouble with Cadmus could be perhaps the most trying trial of their careers, but for now it would do him no good to worry about the possibilities and the consequences even though he had made some headway in his investigations.

* * *

The catch is that Cadmus covers its tracks very well yet there is indisputable signs that past 'missteps' by the costumes are motivating people to distrust them and find ways to remove them from the picture. It would not be surprising if they had files or are building a filing system on the costumes. He rubs his temple before skipping to the next file in the chain, which does gain his interest more than the others so far.

Batman surprisingly is sponsoring or offering joining to Helena Bertinelli aka Huntress, as a child like Bruce, she lost her parents to a double homicide, she had seen it from the closet that her father put her in to protect her, but that in itself is something of lie, because there is no way to fully protect someone from death, natural and unnatural.

_A question is murder unnatural? _

It happens so often throughout the world and even right now as Question sorts through these files, murders could be happening, murderers could be getting away with the crime, and the victims reap the consequences all around. Her parents' killer is still out there. It is likely one of many shaping factors to her becoming the Huntress and her past beyond the murders is similar to Bruce's before he became Batman. She would be one to watch, he is certain of that especially if her past comes back to haunt her, but of course he never totally grasped or understood the idea of the past haunting anyone. He had however not seen some of things that others have or felt things that the others had, but as an observer of human nature he can contend or imagine the effects it might have on others.

There is a difference between certainty and speculation, between knowing and theorizing, but of course even he could admit that he knows far less than he suspects all the time. He hears shouting outside his room and so he erases the latest tangents with a personal data wipe protocol.

The fedora hangs from the rack on the wall and so he slides it on before heading out. Some of those getting rooms on this corridor are having trouble with their locks so there are staffers going around helping them with the doors and locks. It is redundant to acknowledge that many costumes are used to the simplicity of keys, busting door knobs, kicking door jambs, etc. However there are a few connoisseurs for locking picking yet as he turns to leave out his door he collides with someone.

She grabs him by flaps of his trench coat and surprisingly for him, it is Huntress. He suppresses a smile beneath his faceless mask. He had to admit the file photos do her little justice. Her mask has the same kind of lenses as Batman's or any other in the Batclan though Batgirl never used them and one wonders how Commissioner Gordon did not find her out. A red head costume wearer is somewhat uncommon though she is not the only one with red hair. He mumbles an apology and she lets him go then turns to enter the code to unlock her room.

"The doors close a little fast, watch the cape," says Question.

It snags anyway and she fumes from the other side plus the support staff had no put in all the locking mechanisms on the inside of all the rooms yet too. He tells her how to unlock the door, which would mean having to unhook her cape to allow her freedom of movement yet unlike Batman her cape and her mask are separate. The door unlocks, the cape drops to the floor, she quickly picks it up before possibly waiting for him to do it, and so he turns to leave her to acquainting herself with the other annoyances of this new Watchtower.

* * *

As for his room, he locks it before he leaves the corridor to return the Monitor Hub and inserts the earpiece comlink into his ear. Nobody asks him where he is going or why he is going, they simply beam him back to where he was before coming topside to the Watchtower. He vanishes in a blur of light and reappears in the hidden garage where he keeps his Pontiac GTO yet in his shirt pocket is a backup copy of the costumes he had taken from the Watchtower II mainframe. He had of course made his own personal encryption on it that rotates so it only works from the pattern in the sequences that his mind alone can tumble through from day to day.

The range of picks are familiar and unfamiliar, famous and infamous, known and obscure, but of course a concern that threads through all of it is to never leave Earth vulnerable to another Thanagarian type incident or whatever the Omega Level Threat condition means. It will be some time before the full tally is in, but for now he would keep some tabs on ones that warrant him to be watchful of for the moment. His interest in Huntress only furthers with every encounter that follows the first one and he wonders if he is actually starting to feel attraction towards her.

It is mystifying because well he had been in the same profession with females in costume before, but something that he found unable to pin down is different about her in particular. Her physical prowess is not a key factor, her natural beauty is ensnaring on some level yet he concludes after some debate, his interest in her stems from her personality, from qualities that Batman finds objectionable. Batman will not use weapons or at least not any lethal ones while Huntress employs a dart gun, which fires tiny arrow shaped projectiles.

It is a notable development that there are plenty of female crime fighters or heroines joining with the expanding roster including Huntress yet something about her tendencies could easily lead to her ejection from the League. There are plenty things that have to be done solo to avoid compromising a team like the League and even if he or she should have to leave the League, it would not bother him much because he is not that involved in the day-to-day operations. His mind drifts back to focusing on driving back to his apartment where he parks the Pontiac in another lockable garage.

He takes the stairs as usual back to his floor in the apartment building. He might be paranoid, plenty think he is, some times paranoia is justifiable, and others well it shifts from eccentric to weird. He closes the blinds after locking the door from the inside then checks the window locks. Others might believe in having a home security system put in, but he is wary of such things despite the positive reactions had towards having such systems in residences. It is time for Question to retire for the night and for Vic Sage to sleep so he uses the usual tricks to get the faceless mask off then washes off what makes his hair look darker than its natural shade.

He usually sleeps half dressed mean his under shirt and his thin dark blue suit pants though of course under certain lighting what he wears looks either closer to blue or closer to purple. One might get a chuckle out of his sock color yet there is something of an image to looking like an almost noir detective. He shuts off the lights and settles into bed before drifting off to sleep. There are at least two inescapable variables in his life now… Huntress and Cadmus… the longer he remains on the trail of one… the more likely he is going to find himself closer to the other. As for why he holds this notion in mind, not even he is sure about it.

* * *

"What is the deal with Superman calling a full roster assembly?" queries Question.

"_Don't ask me, he just wants everyone up here as soon as possible,"_ answers J'onn.

"I have to park the car out of sight, so wait a few if you don't mind," continues Question.

"_You might not have such leeway in the future Question,"_ remarks J'onn.

Question knows that, even as Vic Sage he had known that, but of course the Martian likes to remind him of that since he is rarely going to the field anymore. He behaves more like a station chief or a control dispatcher. The Pontiac is one of few garages that Question maintains only for the sake of his vehicle of choice, his plum shaded Pontiac GTO, he did not see the purpose in driving something that stands out as much as a Batmobile, a Javelin, or even the Invisible Jet that Wonder Woman is rumored to fly occasionally on long range or special missions. He taps the earpiece comlink into place and teleports up though as he reappears he finds himself catching the gaze of Huntress for the second time in less than a month.

He walks away from the teleporter pad along with the rest of the group that had come up with him from different locations near his beam up site. He refrains from the urge to loosen his tie because something about the crowded room made him claustrophobic despite the appearance of the size though it felt smaller with dozens of people there. He hears the whine of the teleporter again as John Stewart materializes with a decidedly unhappy Oliver Queen at his side. Question knows from files and his only sparing observations that Queen remains hesitant to join this new roster.

Perhaps a certain bird could change his mind, but of course, for the moment Queen is focusing more on the fact that he was brought up here against his will. Stewart is only the messenger; the sender is of course Batman who appears expectedly at Question's side before heading over to Queen or rather Green Arrow.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and J'onn J'onzz join Batman in greeting Green Arrow.

* * *

The crowd is mingling below them as Batman and Question talk privately away from the noise.

"You have been a busy bat," murmurs Question.

"I had a gut feeling you broke into the roster archives earlier this month," whispers Batman.

"You expect any less?" quips Question.

"No, I thought you would, but nobody would take my suggestion to that end seriously."

"Figures, so why Queen aside from the obvious wealth?"

"Humility for our super powered teammates… they need plenty of that."

The rhetorical query out of the way leads to the hidden query.

"Why Huntress?" continues Question.

He aims to conceal his curiosity through an indifferent tone.

"They were pushing to recruit any one of my protégés… it was already agreed between us that they were best to stay where they are yet of course Huntress is the exception."

"Not a full answer."

He suspects Bruce through Batman has other motives to keep them out of this.

"She is also the one that needs the most supervision given the rumors about her parents' killer."

"Some might almost tag you that way too."

"Nobody really knows what happen to my parents' killer and besides that is not the issue."

There is a pause though of course they both know this is a touchy subject between pasts and women.

"I would disagree, but still you maybe right about someone to keep an eye on her."

"I bet you already are _Vic_."

Vic thanks to his mask can hide some of his unease.

"Better watch out with all these men taking a nice long look at Diana… _Bruce_."

Batman slips away to talk to Arrow and he is left noticing Helena mingling in the crowd below the teleporter's surrounding platform. He simply walks towards one of the view ports and looks down towards Earth pondering if this new array of Watchtower elements is actually arrogant, but of course it is somewhat too early to decide yet even as they take the tentative steps up here. Somewhere down below Cadmus is preparing as well yet as to what they are up to remains unclear aside from the nervous behavior he is noticing in Supergirl yet she tries to behave as though it is only nightmares. The only lead to that end is what happen several years when what took pace at STAR Labs after Superman brought her there after the breakout orchestrated in concert with Lois Lane.

The threading tangent again leads back to the rogue incident, no surprise there, there is a connection. Superman gives a house warming speech to the assembly of costumes and one finds cause to feel some inspiration from his words.

There is however an alert about a nuclear incident somewhere in Asia so Green Arrow is already off on his first mission with Stewart as team leader plus Supergirl and Captain Atom for back. Atom or rather former USAF Captain Nathaniel Adams could be problematic if his ties to the military ever get him in the recruiting sights of Cadmus, but then that is just another wild card among wild cards in this roster of a deck. The four member team heads down in one of the Mark II Javelins and so everyone is dispersing either back to their cities or to missions that the Martian is sending them on.

* * *

As for Question, Cadmus can wait for now, he'll observe how Queen takes to being part of a team instead of just having a partner like he did with Roy Harper aka Speedy. The video footage is telling though of course their first encounter with the walking nuclear weapon does not go well leaving Stewart out of the fight.

In the second round, Captain Atom's containment suit is cracked forcing him to withdraw from the battle so that he can put enough distance between himself and the others from the radiation once the breach ruptures fully.

Supergirl is unable to do anything either yet a well aimed or perhaps even lucky shot by Green Arrow shuts down the walking or mobile weapon. Huntress remains somewhat perplexed with the intensity of attention he had given to watching this fight unfold so either she confronts him about it or simply leaves, but something about his focus is appealing yet unnerving.

"First you bump into me, now you are ignoring me, and all to watch those four slug it out with a walking nuclear reactor?" quips Huntress.

"You never know how certain kinds of abilities, mentalities, and powers will gel or not gel together."

"Still you could find other ways to see it without staring at a screen to find out."

"True enough, but I want to see how everyone else sees it too, how it looks as if you were seeing it from a crowd or a television set."

"You are an oddball so I'll leave you to your fixation with observation."

He watches her head back towards the teleporter pad. Some part of him had to admit she could divide his attention, not just with words, but the way her body language is able to fracture his focus is undeniable too. The way her body moves is unexpectedly arousing him yet it could also be her costume too. It follows the curves, the lines, and displays how well she maintains her figure. Their profession often demands that level of fitness even if you have powers though even more if you have none that are readily apparent.

The powers are of the mind, of the body, and others that basically aim to defy the limitations that seem to exist on the mortal frame. There is also the occasional male penchant for the exotic and the female interest in the mystifying. As for that deduction, there could be no clearer examples than Bruce and Diana as well as John Stewart and Shayera Hol, but more are sure to follow especially if Question risks involving himself with Huntress in anyway whatsoever. It seems bound to happen, he could not avoid her and she would be drawn to him, but of course he would not stroke his ego for the presumption.

There is almost noticeable sly grin on her face as she vanishes from the teleport pad and with that he felt certain that she saw her effect on him even with his lack of words and subtle attempts to conceal his momentary intoxication by her presence alone. He wonders how long it took before Wayne felt this way about Diana though of course he figures not long at all because he had seen the photographs the Parisian magazines had gotten of him dancing with Wonder Woman. The man almost never smiles and when he does it tends to be insincere at least in public though occasionally it can be very genuine, but with her, it is more than just a smile, he is actually grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Bruce as Batman appears to believe that relationships especially ones between costumes is a bad idea though as Vic through Question is certain of is that nothing is certain whether it is their profession or whoever they choose to let into their world or dare he think the word heart. Huntress, Helena, is already getting into his world, whether he wants her there or not, but this is not an obsession, at least he hopes it is not, it probably is not. However his life style seems to make discerning true things tricky. She seems to reciprocate his awkward gestures with more confident ones, but perhaps his only appear awkward to him.

"_It upsets women to be, or not to be, stared at hungrily."_

It is distinctly possible that Mignon McLaughlin was right about that, but then nothing is certain except uncertainty.

"_Woman begins by resisting a man's advances and ends by blocking his retreat. "_

It is curious that he should also think of Oscar Wilde at this moment too, but stranger things have happen before. There is also the idea that man is full of questions and a woman is a singular mystery. He snickers slightly at the notion of a man of questions considering his crime fighting alias yet there is truth in a woman as a mystery. He heads over to the teleporter and motions for a beam down to his car. It is assured this is not the last he will see of Huntress or Helena Bertinelli.

* * *

A/N 1: Question's first encounter with Huntress, it seems implied in Double Date that they were aware of each other before that meeting, so I took it step further given that their quarters were opposite each other in the Watchtower.

A/N 2: Question's examination of the roster files are meant to build towards his interest in Huntress... in Helena. He's also being watchful of certain others that are going to join the team. Plus more banter with Batman, I can't resist it somehow, it sounds funny to me even though they rarely seem to converse during the series.

A/N 3: I think I really got into a Question mindset between writing this and the first part of this story. Mignon McLaughlin is a real person, she wrote for _**Vogue**_ among other publications in the 20th Century and as for Oscar Wilde, well both quotations are aimed at plot developments.


	3. Preoccupations

Disappearances are statistically common because often they are not disappearances at all, which is true, the person may resurface in hours, days, weeks, months, years, or maybe even decades, but not this time, this time the person is not coming back at all because that person is gone… as in dead gone. There are gaps in STAR Labs records that remain unaccounted for from Superman's rogue incident and for spans of time since then. The questions as usual are ones no one wants to answer likewise Question is certain that Professor Emil Hamilton is a crestfallen scientist with more than just skeletons in his closet, but of course Hamilton plays his part well because he has to or because he believes he is doing the right thing.

_What is the right thing or right time_?

There are also a number of STAR Labs employees who simply seem to drop out of sight especially in recent weeks. All too convenient and coincidental to transpire at nearly the same time that Supergirl starts to show signs of not sleeping well. There is also the disgraced Hardcastle to keep in mind especially as the League is buying the Z-8 Training Drones in bulk. Another potential issue though Question would pass this note along to someone who could be taken seriously or at least feign an excuse to examine their operating systems just to be safe.

_Safe does it exist either?_

Plenty of missing employee candidates to seek out yet another unremarkable coincidence is that each missing employee had been working there since about the time Superman had first come to Metropolis or at some point after. The disappearances or transfers begin not long after Superman's rogue incident, which includes the time that Supergirl was there for treatment for the Kryptonite exposure. It is time to confront Supergirl, bring his suspicions to Kara herself because otherwise this will continue without some shot at getting tangible glimpses at the reality of this thread in the tangent involving Cadmus. It is also to uncover some of Cadmus' intentions not only towards the League, but costumes worldwide.

[+++]

He adheres to one quirk no matter where he is, leave no trail that can be followed for long, but it is clear that several individuals are aware of his investigations though his lack of headway on any front makes him dismissible for the time being. The commissary crowd is thinning out, but he is not the only one keeping an eye on Kara, Queen is also taking interest in these 'nightmares'. If someone of J'onn J'onzz's abilities cannot decipher the conspiracy that involves her nightmares then it is up to him, but his ego, his motives do not entirely enter the equation. This is about finding out what Cadmus is doing that Supergirl … that Kara is somehow aware of now and stemming the damage it is doing to her to be aware of it.

Hamilton by predisposition alone is not the pliable type so whatever his part in this, he would have to made the decision to involve himself in this conspiracy on his own, but it seems a little early to fully condemn the professor, still it rings true in theory. Most are attributing the gaps in her memory to amnesia or the fact that she is having nightmares, but there is more to it than that as he posits to both of them.

"Your mind is repressing the things you are afraid you did…."

Arrow shakes his head in disbelief before grumbling about Queston's 'conspiracies' mumbo jumbo, but he interrupts the thought by reminding Queen that it is "conspiracy, singular" though of course those behind the conspiracy prefer to diffuse the suspicion to plurality. It serves their agenda better apparently so that if anyone does suspect something is up, there would be no way to potentially nail down the source.

As for they, they are the Illuminati, ancient secret cabal that allegedly predates countless other secret societies and organizations like the one led by Ra's Al-Ghul, one of the few confirmed supernatural enemies of Batman who also knows Batman's secret identity.

It is almost laughable how many actually have made the connection between Batman and Wayne, but more than enough still have no idea, which is more to Wayne's advantage than anyone else because otherwise it is a risk that endangers anyone close to Wayne by association. Professional endangerment by association, one of Batman's 'reasons' for not pursuing a relationship especially with Diana even after their run-in with Circe, which brought Bruce back into contact with Zatanna.

As he found out, Bruce under several aliases had been traveling the world before becoming Batman and during that 'world tour' he met Zatanna's father, an accomplished magician and escape artist. Bruce always seems to be learning from the 'best' and Zatanna had fallen for him without even knowing who he really is or who he would become after that encounter.

Bruce and Batman retain a history of frustrating women, which Vic and Question had not done as far he knew at any rate. Superman by reverse had kept a tenuous courtship with Lois Lane, which usually led to her having the better story than her press rivals, not to say she could not accomplish it on her, but Superman is known for playing favorites with her.

[+++]

Supergirl agrees to pay Hamilton a visit in person to assess how he reacts to her stories about her 'nightmares' and naturally Question expects someone will have a reprisal for that visit.

It is a mixed reaction to be right even in this situation because it is like finding a rabbit hole, chasing a minotaur, and at its worst finding that the truth behind the lies carries a much heavier string of consequences than just simply unraveling this particular deception. Supergirl's reaction to the alleged operating apparatus is telling just as Hamilton's psychobabble explanation about why it appears as it does in her 'nightmares' and as for the people she saw they are part of a fighting back 'complex'. A ludicrous fabrication as to what happen as he detects minor fluctuations in Hamilton's body movements and breathing at the description of the man that was killed, Hamilton had known the man clearly.

All seems neatly explained and so they depart though he notes Hamilton picking up the phone just as he heads out the door. It is probable that Hamilton is alerting someone to their visit. Arrow sounds at ease with Hamilton's cover story though Supergirl is hesitant to buy yet not willing to believe that Hamilton would out right lie to her. There is the ability to be true, the capacity to lie, but the concepts of deception and truth are less absolute than people desire them to be especially in this scenario. People still confess things when they lie if one knows what questions to ask, which triggers a very minor grin in the corner of Question's mouth though it fades at the appearance of two military choppers.

The reprisal right on schedule as a Z-8 Battle Drone purposely targets her while the soldiers with it are meant as distractions for Arrow and Question. If not for instincts kicking in at that moment, things could have gone much differently, but the attempt to silence the investigation in this manner only incenses a deeper examination. It would mean going to the source or at the very least the source of the apparently defunct Project Achilles, which is the one that spearheaded the development of the Kryptonite enhanced weaponry used to try to kill Superman and Supergirl during Superman's rogue incident.

It means going after Hardcastle.

Hardcastle as a result of failing to kill Superman and Supergirl as Question had found out is now kept out of sight and out of mind. He is a broken down old man who still distrusts aliens, metahumans, and the like because they are elements beyond his control. Those entities are not the only thing beyond his control, there is much beyond anyone's control, regardless of ability or identity. Question already knowing where Hardcastle's cabin retreat is calls for a teleport to the nearest beam down site to that location.

[+++]

"How did you know where to find him anyway?" quips Arrow.

"When people want to disappear, they can, but there is always a trail to follow if you know what to look for," answers Question.

"So why Hardcastle then?" asks Supergirl.

"There is no way to get near Luthor, he is too public to approach about this and besides Cadmus more or less left Hardcastle to rot though they will probably be after him so we have to get to him first."

The door is easy to break through, which is almost unsurprising, but Hardcastle is not defenseless. He grips a prototype weapon that carries an experimental bullet that could kill a Kryptonian thanks to the liquid Kryptonite inside of it. Arrow predictably steps between her and Hardcastle so the former general relents knowing that if he had shot Arrow, he would be dealing with a ticked off Supergirl as the billionaire-in-disguise archer put it. The conversation little by little proves several suspicions that Question had kept to himself for weeks now including the one about Cadmus' files on all the costumes especially those on the expanded Justice League roster.

"I know too much, somebody was bound to come shut me up…"

The former general is no fool, but of course he is older, slower, and indeed if Cadmus sent their newest weapon against him, the man would not survive the encounter. The trio departs and leaves the old man to tend to the fireplace. Once back outside they teleport back to the Watchtower and finally another break comes when the Martian directs their attention to a news broadcast about a missing person's report. The man fits the description of the man Supergirl recalls from her most recent 'nightmare', which means he was real and is now very dead. His killer is probably the Supergirl clone yet there is no way to be absolutely certain.

The uncertainly lasts until Supergirl jerks up from having fallen asleep in Question's quarters of all places, but it had been a long day for her between Hamilton and Hardcastle. Question is not unsympathetic for her fears or worries, but it is not just about her even when the killer looks like her yet what matters is that Supergirl… that Kara is not this Cadmus assassin.

[+++]

Arrow elects to intercept a security guard that works at Nuvo-Gen so that he can gain access to their files with Supergirl's helps naturally. As for Question all he can 'fess up is a lead of his own to follow and the trio parts ways for the time being. Supergirl's revelation that Hardcastle is dead not news for him simply because the former general had the same proven paranoia that Cadmus would silence anyone who could 'rat' them out. Gilbert Halstrom and Hardcastle are not the first to die for Cadmus nor would they be the last. Question's new quarry is the reporter that put out the story on the 'missing' Halstrom and the lead would produce another nearly predictable turn. The reporter is seeing someone that nearly matches Kara's description except the hair is shorter and her physique sounds more like a grown woman than one belonging to a girl verging on adulthood.

Cadmus had not only made another Kryptonian clone, but they aged her to her presumed prime. She has the powers yet she lacks the refinement that Superman had sought to teach Kara since her coming to Earth several years ago. The other commonality is she too is having 'nightmares' so if Kara is seeing whatever the clone is doing then the clone is seeing whatever Supergirl is doing, which there arises a cross purposed morality issue. Supergirl finds this other self's behavior abhorrent while the other self is struggling to adhere to Cadmus' orders except Supergirl's 'conscience' interferes with her performance. It means by going Nuvo-Gen that Supergirl is playing into her doppelganger's hands and so arises the possibility that Cadmus or at very least the clone is using her latest 'assignment' as lure.

He ditches the reporter in the alleyway and speeds off to the Nuvo-Gen facility where Arrow and Supergirl had gone to in order to find out more about the clone. The urgency of the current suspicion means some laws are about to get bent yet not broken, no he would never break laws, it means a deceptively simple compromise to prevent a misunderstood bigger complex threat. The drive takes not nearly as long as he thought yet his suspicions grant him almost supernatural quickness. However he goes the rest of the way on foot and for a moment examines the security lock yet instead of bothering to disable it, he simply throws a plant pot through the transparent glass. The rest of the trip inside consists of spraying cameras to conceal his movements because of course whoever from Cadmus is here is already onto Arrow and Supergirl.

[+++]

A computer room off the corridor from the holographic simulator reveals the discoveries that his League cohorts had made so there it is without a shadow of doubt, a Supergirl clone codenamed Galatea of all names to give her. There is always some hidden significance to why or why not a 'hero' or a 'villain' takes an alias. A poem comes to mind as he begins his walk towards the holographic simulation of Metropolis where Kara and Galatea are having it out, but of course now the former knows assuredly of the existence of the latter. Her faith and trust in humanity takes a hit yet not all share the perspective of Cadmus. The poem in mind is _Tyger, Tyger_ by William Blake and he gazes into the false night sky so clear is Galatea manifesting the fearful symmetry that lines exude to be the case in seizing the stolen innocence of one Kara In-Ze, but of course there is a question if anyone still has innocence left to them.

Kara appears to be losing the fight at least until Question places himself between them. If his theory about their 'psychic' link is true than her ability to kill is thrown off by the presence of Supergirl. He contends that Supergirl's typical disposition is making it harder for her to continue following Cadmus' orders so when they order her to kill Supergirl, she is glad to fulfill the order if only to rid herself of Supergirl as a moral impediment. It is clear that this supposition is true as Galatea is unable to kill Question even though her eyes had been glowing red only moments before yet in the cracking of Galatea's resolve; Supergirl attacks Galatea using a holographic construct that resembles a large vehicle.

If anyone is watching it is clear that Galatea is 'compromised' and within moments the chamber begins rupturing from hidden explosives going off. One blast appears to consume Galatea while the others rip through the rest of the facility, which means they will have to flee without any evidence to fully link Nuvo-Gen to Cadmus, to STAR, or even Hamilton. It is clear he is the one who took her DNA during her recovery in the wake of the Superman rogue incident Likewise it is unlikely that this is the last they have seen of this Galatea, Question is certain of that even if there is a way found to block the psychic link between them.

[+++]

A search of the facility post blast reveals nothing as Cadmus predictably made a clean sweep leaving what one would expect to find in the aftermath of a gas leak minus any trace of what had been in the sublevels including the training holograph chambers. The incident convinces the League to erase and remake the Z-8 combat drones' operating system just to be 'safe'. Hamilton plays the sympathetic listener again and feigns astonishment at this Galatea business as he seems to be calling it without saying it. His well wishes absolve nothing of his guilt and so Question feels like he is almost back to square one in his search for whatever Cadmus is up to as well as its intentions in the wake of the loss of the Nuvo-Gen facility.

However Galatea is not the only science experiment that Cadmus is eager to conceal from the public and the League. The failed clone Bizarro is not the only Kryptonian clone that was made yet Galatea so far is the only existing cloning success they have had where past efforts only seem to center around pliable metahumans such as the ones that had become the Royal Flush Gang. Question possessing the kind of memory that he does recalls a handful of names from a cursory search of Nuvo-Gen's files before going into the holographic chamber. There are names such as Maxwell Lord and some aberrant partial files about creating a super powered team rather than working with existing DNA to forge psychologically trained duplicates or clones.

Cadmus is obviously 'playing for keeps' in this 'cold war' against the League and it appears Question will have to do the same if he wants to keep pace with them without compromising what he is trying to uphold in defense of the costumes. It almost sounds preachy yet even in cold wars or unsung wars everyone belongs to one side or the other. The absolutes in this case are not meant to rigorously link one to one, rather it is meant to exude this idea that one had to make up their mind about their beliefs and their purpose sooner or later. At least one cardinal rule for Question is never compromise or regret what it takes to retain what he believes to be his purpose, his role in this waltz above the abyss for like Nietzsche once wrote "And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

The abyss can be above, about, around, below, or even within yet it dwells where the entity that gazes into it like one's own reflection in a mirror, in one's own eyes, in one's dreams, in one's nightmares, and further still from within one's mind. Nietzsche also said "Do whatever you will, but first be such as are able to will." Another glaring insight perhaps for one's will is vital as any of one's senses. The encounter with Galatea had given him a personal glimpse into what it might have been like to meet the ones who masqueraded as the Founders prior to Luthor getting that Presidential pardon. In fact it is too coincidental that his pardon had come in the wake of that event. The tangent there is who were the impostors and how much impact did that event have on the current Cadmus agenda and policies plus who is the source of that entity those impostors fought that night. Too much leads back to Cadmus, to Luthor, to things the Founders would decidedly not tell him, so he would either leave the fixation with that incident aside or probe the tangent until something arises to fill in some of the blanks.

[+++]

At the same time, Huntress' or rather Helena's off-the-grid search for Mandragora continues yet Question is aware that the government is building a case against the enemies of her parents' killer so for the moment the government needs the 'fat man' alive. As for what would happen when she does track him down is not much of a mystery as part of her has wanted him to suffer, to die ever since the night he killed her parents, but later… after… if she did kill him… it would not make her feel better in the long run.

"_What is my fixation with what Helena will do when she confronts Mandragora doing by mixing in with my thoughts about this overshadowing problem with Cadmus? It is does not make any sense, no of course it would not, the two while seemingly unrelated do have a connection through me."_

As Dostoevsky wrote at one point….

"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken."

The dead always manage to encapsulate his thinking so well and she still manages to preoccupy his thoughts intermittently. Vic Sage did not foresee an attraction to Helena Bertinelli yet now there is no escaping it as for what happens because of it… _that is a question for another time_.

* * *

A/N 1: The tidbit of disappearances relates to something I read about disappearances in a crime novel once and something along those lines seem to fit how Question might view potential disappearances that seem to have a connection to Cadmus.

A/N 2: The exact name of the missing scientist lists him as Halstrom and as Hale, I went with Halstrom since in the episode Fearful Symmetry he appears to be referred to as Halstrom. As for what happens with Hamilton, my initial reaction mirrors Kara's except since then I have seen it more though Question's view of things even it still retains moral qualms for me.

A/N 3: The Cadmus Arc poses several Watchmen concepts though I had not read it until after I had seen the Cadmus Arc, but Bruce Timm's mention of it piqued my interest so when it was adapted to film I saw it then read the omnibus publication of it and I have to say in either examination as a film or a publication it is engrossing especially for the questions it poses... no pun intended due to the central character of this story being Question.

A/N 4: Question's/Vic's interest in Huntress/Helena deepens as of course some part of his latest tangent turns toward what Helena through Huntress will do when she finds Mandragora, there is no if in mind here, he knows she'll find a way to get to her parents' killer.


	4. Thresholds

"You really should make that code less obvious, but you never forget that date do you _Bruce_?"

Batman glares at Question when finding him in the chair in front of the Batcomputer.

"What code are you referring to _Vic_?"

Question rotates the chair so it faces the Dark Knight.

"Starting with the alarm system upstairs, then the grandfather clock that conceals the entrance to the Batcave, and of course… there is this power house right here. I wonder what _Diana_ would say if she ever saw half the contents of the photographic scans."

He leaves the cowl on purposely to conceal his annoyance and frustration with his Hub City counterpart, but of course things had been quiet there lately so basically Sage follows the threads or tangents wherever they lead so tonight they led him to the Batcave.

"Why are you here?" asks Batman.

"The Ultimen is the who, not the why, the why deals with why would Cadmus bother engineering their own metahumans team, but what is more, what would this team do if they ever found out the truth about their past plus the fact that they are on borrowed time."

Batman's gaze visibly shifts considering the implications of Question's reveal and then his comlink goes off. The Ultimen are on the attack, not the defense this time, but of course the first signs that all is not well had been Question's stealth observation of the heist that the Ultimen foiled recently. They went off the grid after that and the theory about their origins in Question's mind begins with the earliest video footage of them in the media. Each Ulti_man _or in Shifter's case Ulti_woman_ show a steady surge in their powers yet in foiling the recent heist, it is clear something is happening to Wind Dragon, new powers beyond the ones he has shown since his first outing. The only difference is that in investigating conspicuously guarded shipments, Question finds something odd as there is an unusually high amount of laboratory equipment going into the Ultimen Headquarters.

Likewise when Wind Dragon rejects an invite to the League supposedly on the whole team's behalf, he is not speaking for all of them as something of camaraderie is taking shape between Long Shadow and Wonder Woman. The biographies of each Ultimen check out a little too well, but of course there are paper trail dead ends when he tries to dig deeper than the available information. Murphy's Law while laughable to many actually retains some grains of truisms in them. In the case of the Ultimen, they are too good to be true yet not good enough by design to live much longer. They are genetically 'flawed' if the theory regarding Wind Dragon's new powers bears out to be true.

One could only imagine if the truth about the Ultimen goes much further than them being merely engineered. The amount of supplies being sent to Ultimen HQ is more than necessary to maintain the five Ultimen, but what if they are engineering more, thus making these five only the first generation. However the genetic and personality aberrations are obviously leading to setbacks so it becomes that more urgent to contain them especially for Cadmus which prefers to be as anonymous as possible for them. However the circumstances would assuredly prompt them to take some kind of action to reel the Ultimen back in or simply terminate them then activate their replacements, preferably ones that like look virtually identical to the first ones. This is again a mere theory regarding the extent of Cadmus in regards to the Ultimen.

"If someone besides Lord seeks them out… that will be proof of something… perhaps proof of Cadmus because even the Watchtower and its satellites took your money as well as Queen's to maintain to peak performance… there is also the matter of the binary fusion generators as a power source too."

The power generators source is a closely guarded League secret or so Batman thought of course. The Founders behave like the League is all about the team, but not always though conversely entities like Cadmus always presume that only humans without costumes can decide how to look after Earth. The irony at the word costumes is costumes can mean anything whether it is a business suit or some kind of uniform such is a tell tale sign of authority yet authority does not like questions or variables beyond its control. Control itself is yet another illusion at least to Question because whatever motivates him to continue acting on behalf of those who don costumes and earn the moniker hero even though Question and to a lesser extent Vic Sage does not see himself as a hero.

"I really do suggest you be there when they come for the Ultimen…."

Batman in a blur returns to the Batmobile and disappears back towards the direction of the Ultimen's last stand. As for Question, he leaves the way he had come in and as for the butler, he'll be sleeping a few hours more, but even Question held respect for the kindly Alfred Pennyworth. The thankless butler had kept a niche in the Wayne Family for decades. Pennyworth is also vital as a sage and confidante to Bruce as well as Batman. Pennyworth's purpose is one of duty and faith to the Batman as well as his partners though even the butler possesses a singular lifelong wish.

A wish that one day Batman as well as Bruce Wayne will allow a woman back into his heart.

[+++]

It is no great secret that Batman is a workaholic and Mister Wayne dupes plenty with behaving like a playboy philanthropist. As for Bruce, he did love a woman from time to time, but no there is not a single instance until Diana that he appears to show signs of being in love again. The last time he had given himself over into being in love was with Andrea Beaumont yet of course their reunion had come in the wake of the death of two mobsters. The third, one Salvatore Valestra, foolishly sought out Joker to take care of Batman not knowing someone else is the killer. Valestra's corpse is the lure for the real killer, but of course Councilman Arthur Reeves uses the murders as cause to capture Batman.

It nearly succeeds yet conveniently only moments after Batman's quarry vanishes, Andrea Beaumont is in the alleyway beyond the construction site to pick him up. The romance is back on until it is clear that Carl Beaumont is not the killer, for Carl Beaumont had been killed overseas by the man who becomes the Joker, and in response Andrea decides to return to Gotham to kill them for her father's murder. She sought vengeance, which is not something Bruce or Batman could allow her to carry out in full. It is uncertain what had become of her after the explosion at that burned down what was left of the Gotham World Expo. Joker still being alive suggests she had decided against killing Joker, but she had two murders on her conscience since then. Bruce and Batman never lack in a colorful history with women. Batman attracts Selina Kyle aka Catwoman whereas Bruce through Batman appeals to Talia Al-Ghul. Selina is supposedly attempting to reform whereas Talia despite keeping her father from killing him since his refusal to become Ra's' successor… is still unwilling to consciously 'betray' her father.

A relationship with Diana would pose its own obstacles yet one of the obstacles is actually Bruce and Batman. At least that is what the rumor mill on the Watchtower persists, and that would not be far from the truth. He had once caught the two of them making sidelong glances at each other though usually one tries to develop a non-verbal rapport so that in the middle of a tricky fight one can communicate a change in tactics without giving away the shift. At the same time there is the fact that Diana is more used to being direct, to simply going after what she wants or maybe even needs while Bruce focuses on the things he can do something about without shared consequences.

He likely levies what happen between Stewart and Hol as an example of why romantic relationships between team members is a bad idea, but of course something is already happening between members of the expanded roster. There are only so many people that one clicks with and as such there are again obstacles whether one or both are on the team. One could wonder if the whole costume wearing thing leads to relationships with costumed teams, which is possibly right in some instances. He saw Oliver ogling Dinah more than once and Vic is sure that Dinah is noticing that though she is doing nothing until a situation affords her chance to get closer to him.

"_A woman asks little of love: only that she be able to feel like a heroine."_

Mignon McLaughlin strikes again; Question makes a sharp laugh, and then climbs into the Pontiac. He revs it up and zips down the winding road leading up to Wayne Manor. The bit humor is that often men in costume fall for women in costume, but how is that any different from flirtations that happen without the whole dressing like its Halloween almost every day image in mind. If one change it must be a change from the inside, not one made from the outset, otherwise the rest is built on lies and one day one wonders what is true and what is false. It seems at least one prevailing thing that keeps or shatters a relationship is how both parts move or do not move in tandem for any truly deep romance is not one sided and then Question wonders why he went from near ranting at Batman to talking to himself.

One wonders what compels Wonder Woman… compels Diana to put up with Batman and Bruce, but one might as well ask why the celestial objects in the skies move the way they do or why the heart and head rarely agree with each other. As for Batman… for Bruce, there is knowing that at least one woman is stubborn enough to put up with his moods, his so-called issues, and just about anything else he can dish out. Point in fact, she gets under his skin easily and that is what bothers him in theory anyway. As for Question, he realizes how Huntress… Helena… is already on the way to doing the same thing to him yet neither of them has done anything to push them towards doing anything about it.

[+++]

As for what happen with the Ultimen, Cadmus as he had suspected had come in for the cleanup yet Lord goes out on a limb as expected to reassure them that their remaining time will be as comfortable as possible yet Long Shadow breaks from the team. A thought in mind is that he was made or taught too well so of course he'll remain with the League for the remainder of his time, which if Question understood the degradation correctly, he does not have long. He is taken on missions though advised to keep actions to a limited amount though of course his final moments come for him during one of those missions. He was taken back to the Watchtower immediately though they took him by Javelin thinking that a teleport would simply kill him given his cellular degradation. Hamilton's estimate had given the Ultimen at worst case scenario only a month.

Wonder Woman stays at his bedside until the end and so she is given the first undeniable taste of seeing a respected fellow hero die yet this is not new for the Founders as each had had brushes with dead except in virtually all cases it was averted or not true. Superman as he had found out was once ripped apart and put back together by one of Toyman's weapons. They thought he was dead except Batman at the time didn't buy it given the lack of forensic of evidence. The Dark Knight Detective's conviction is fulfilled when he reappears only days after his alleged death. Question recalls the incident though he had not been to Metropolis then because he did not know Superman and he had barely been on amicable terms with Batman at the time too.

He figures in Batman's place he would had reached the same hypothesis that Superman was not dead, but something had happen to him. Superman had come back in a tattered costume and with a full beard no less, a bit of Robinson Crusoe, that makes Question chuckle again. He stifles it when noticing Wonder Woman closing the late Long Shadow's eyes. He had passed away and she opts to give him a warrior's funeral. In the remaining weeks of his life, Long Shadow had cultivated an interest in the history of the tribes that once filled what is now North America and so he aspires to in accordance to their beliefs. The experience one would 'hope' had given the dying hero a way to make peace with his nature and what he made of himself despite or in spite of that nature.

[+++]

It is a rainy afternoon as they commit Long Shadow's body to the earth in the traditions of his newfound spirituality for in time he had hoped that his body would join with the planet thus renew it. The practice of using coffins had begun with the sarcophagus yet plenty keep on burying the dead without such fixtures. Batman holds up an umbrella over Wonder Woman in full regalia and to the opposite side is Superman with Lois. He is put to rest with a shaman to oversee the burial and before the shaman departs he thanks them for the opportunity though reminds them Long Shadow shall always be with them in spirit. In the distance Question notices not Wonder Woman, but Diana lean against Batman with tears in her eyes and murmuring to him that could he give a lift back to her place.

It is clear she did not want to be alone for the remainder of this day and she would prefer if he would stay with her. He surprisingly obliges her though at least it did not require someone like Flash to knock some sense into him on this occasion. Perhaps the presence of all the Founders, except for the Martian, had made him not do something that could be seen as heartless to a mourning Diana though of course Lois had briefly flirted Bruce several years ago when Batman and Superman finally met face to face. Their alliance or partnership is brought on by the deal made between Joker and Luthor. They also both found out each other's secret identity on the same night. Superman probably peaked much to Batman's chagrin though Batman probably returned the favor by secretly snagging the Kryptonian with a tracer. It seems the most likely scenario so all it would take is stealth and guile to follow him back to his apartment and see him switch out of costume to reveal he is Clark Kent.

[+++]

Before they fully bury Long Shadow, the five Founders in attendance along with a gathering of other heroes and some who had met Long Shadow before his death cast the ceremonial object of their choosing into the burial space. After everyone is gone, Question finally approaches the grave. The dirt as well as a burial marker is now in place. He is not here alone as he had thought when he made his slow walk to this spot. He looks up to see that Huntress for a change had been following him except she said nothing though of course how he could forget what today is for her, this is also the same day that her parents were murdered as she watched while hiding in a closet.

One might wonder how Question is privy to such detail yet all it takes is some imagination to realize that the one thing that some resent about tragedies in their lives is that they continue to feel helpless at that moment as well as when things remind them of the event as they get older. She stands next to him as they both look at Long Shadow's burial marker, the rain is getting heavier now, and even his trench coat can only withstand so much condensation. However upon closer examination of her face, her mask is now without the lenses and her dark eyes catch him off-guard. His face covering mask as usual conceals his surprise though she likely senses his fixation and uneasiness from her gaze.

He drives off in his Pontiac as usual and she leaves by her motorcycle, her vehicle of choice.

_Vehicle of choice what a curious notion, does choice even exist?_

_Perhaps not, but still we decide how to navigate the tangents from day to day, in theory anyway._

[+++]

His search of the former Ultimen base of operations turns up nothing because it is completely vacant by the time of his second trip so another dead end, always a few steps ahead or maybe Cadmus is simply anticipating his presence yet not doing anything to him directly. However their perception of him is liable to change, he is certain of that especially if he continues to investigate them, but of course there is truth in the fact that Long Shadow is not dead. Cadmus would most assuredly work to make a more viable generation of Ultimen though that would take time plus there is still Galatea to consider among other things such as the squad that Maxwell Lord's government contact mentioned weeks ago.

This government contact informs the latest tangent about Cadmus' pick of personnel and this woman is definitely someone to keep an eye on if at all possible, but of course she is already claiming to be keeping an eye on as many of the League as possible. She too knows Batman's secret identity as he put it by referring to him as rich boy, which means that secret identities are not so secret anymore. As for how many she has unmasked without telling anyone about is worth finding out though that would require digging deeper into Cadmus' archives and databases.

A hack into their files would unravel this mystery a little further yet now is not the time for that, but indeed time is not on the League's side with Cadmus looking over their shoulder. The existence of the binary fusion gun had not gone over well with the current President and in the next election he faces competition from the charismatic Lex Luthor. Luthor's interests in politics goes to the forefront after his pardon, which again loops back to those doppelgangers masquerading as the Founders. Cadmus' directives definitely have something to do with that event, but again what exactly is it and how are they going to implement is part the new tangent about Cadmus.

The incidents so far are ways for them to probe where they can do the most damage so that perhaps when they make their move, the League will not be able to stage a reprisal. The binary fusion gun as already noted indicates that Cadmus might be right to be afraid of the League. However so far the gun has not been fired yet what happens when it does get used, Cadmus as well as the Government will not take its usage lying down that is certain. As for Luthor, he is on the list of off the books financiers for Cadmus because he has history with not only the League, but Superman as well. This is well known yet so far Luthor is behaving very much the part of a reformed criminal who wants to devote his remaining time to public service.

Question again erases all traces of the current tangents and departs into the night again knowing the hole involving the League and Cadmus is only going to get deeper and probably darker.

_What makes a hero?_

Question assuredly does not feel like one and conversely there are questions bound to that one.

_What is human? What am I? Who am I?_

_Who or what is Question? Where Vic does begin/end and where does Question end/begin?_

It is time to set such concerns aside again because his body is too worn out whereas his mind needs a slow down to a stop just so he can at least sleep. Ambiguities are too much even for him at times, but at least now he can sleep and hope that his mind refrains from bring all his musings into realization while he sleeps after the dead ends in the Ultimen search.

_There are limits that are more like thresholds, and one never knows how far they can go until passing or falling through them.

* * *

_

A/N 1:Portions of this one are homages to Watchmen such as Question being in the Batcave and the wake/funeral for Long Shadow as well as the weather during said wake/funeral.

A/N 2: Enter Maxwell Lord and the Ultimen (plus mentions of Dr. Hugo Strange and Amanda Waller).

A/N 3: Another Huntress/Question scene towards the close. The changes in Huntress' costume are a slight nod to the fact that Huntress' initial animation is quite different from the one she has for the remainder of her appearances in JLU. Question of course prefers the new look.

A/N 4: His inner thoughts about heroics and identity as I found out from some light research are somewhat common to him.


	5. Intentions

General Wade Eiling, career soldier and firm believer in notions that costumes are running the country into the gutter. Personal interpretations of the things we do, maybe even Question does are debatable, but there are things that happen in this 'country' that have nothing to do with the League or Question. The lack of an apparent villain appears to turn everyone against everyone else, but this is not new at all either.

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

The ever insightful Oscar Wilde resurfaces though of course literature is part of the human condition for that is where the examination of existence and essence begins as well as ends. Everything comes full circle as threads loop their way back to the source, but of course only it is only a supposition. It could turn out differently this time though only time will tell on that front. The absence of a world in peril factor left all will time to brood about to move on after the Thanagarian Occupation because it is the first time that the League 'fails' the world as well as 'betrays' by association. The world leaders put their trust in the League and the League put their trust In Hawkgirl's faith in her 'commander's' leadership.

[+++]

Commander Hro Talak was until the Thanagarian Occupation, the first lover of now disgraced and exiled Shayera Hol. Batman was dead on the money to be suspicious that a Gordanian Cruiser too conveniently appeared over D.C. just before the Thanagarian Fleet arrived and shot the vessel down. The cardinal rule about coincidences is that they happen, but one should never believe them. An autopsy of a Gordanian corpse taken from the cruiser's D.C. crash site revealed that the Gordanians were dead long before the Cruiser made its appearance over D.C.

Batman likely from that confirmation went undercover to find out why the Thanagarians are really here, but of course his infiltration did not go unnoticed for long. Human works at the construction site radio in that the Hawkmen had attacked the League. The NATO combat assets scramble to assist, but the Thanagarians had the technological edge. They were also armed with the knowledge of how to capture the League minus their loyal Shayera Hol. However the League was not alone in the sweep to contain all possible resistance. The Hawkmen went after every costume they had come into contact with during their time on Earth though of course Question barely managed to elude them because if they could disable the League, what was the point in engaging them alone?

Other costumes fought back and went down as easily as the League yet the League escaped from custody somehow. One could imagine Wonder Woman would have been furious to say the least with Hawkgirl. Green Lantern was probably already mixed up after the revelations about his new lover's past including the extent of her involvement with Talak. She is also the one who made the introductions between Talak and the World's Leaders. Video footage of that meeting showed her with such pride that some would say could only come from being in love. Her loyalties were divided between the League and Hro Talak, between Earth and Thanagar, but of course she defaults to the latter as she did not have cause to initially doubt Talak's mission.

The experiences that followed that night would change everything for her, for the League, for Earth, and more.

[+++]

The catch nowadays is that the world is not jeopardy, which affords entities like Cadmus with another clincher, but then when the world or someone cries out for hero, who will answer the call?

A Justice League and a Cadmus come into conflict not because the two cannot play along to get along, but because the two do not trust the world in the hands of the other. The fear of the other is as old as humanity though the tools and more so the weapons have come along way from carved stones. The realization of possibilities is within humanity's grasp yet the 'conscience' is always trailing behind it as for once those childhood fables or fairy tales are nothing more than ink on paper.

The Dark Heart situation awakened the world and Cadmus to the Watchtower II's super weapon, a binary fusion gun, which despite being a powerful weapon could not stop the Dark Heart. It took the talents of Ray Palmer aka The Atom in tandem with dozens of Justice League members to shut it down. The Batwing would undoubtedly need a replacement and quite frankly it is not surprisingly how many times one of Batman's vehicles has been in need of repair or replacement, but then this line of work is always dangerous. As for the remains of the Dark Heart technology, all of it is in the possession of the government or more likely hidden away in some Cadmus R&D facility.

[+++]

Question accompanies Batman during the trip to infiltrate the house of one Amanda Waller who is the latest link to Cadmus and Batman is still keeping secrets from him. Question is certain of that and decides it does have something to do with those doppelgangers. The Thanagarian Occupation is piece of what motivates the expanded Justice League yet take the flip side of the coin, that being Cadmus, what else besides Superman's rogue incident motivates them. It always comes back to the doppelgangers and the noticeable differences in costume as well as demeanor plus who is missing from the battle that night.

"_Batman I think you should see this"_

Any news dealing with Luthor assuredly ensnares Superman and there is more to it than them having history. Luthor's pardon as many had heard results from assistance that he lent in helping the League apprehend unnamed assailants during an attack on the maximum security facility used to house the League's recurring foes.

There is also a gap in camera footage typically kept by such prisons. What is more is that repairs were made to prison within days of this incident yet there is no record of any damage nor requests for repair crews. It is as if someone is trying to conceal whatever took place there on the night in question and furthermore this occurs only hours after the Superman doppelganger lobotomized the gray skinned behemoth.

The behemoth also disappears without a trace yet the video footage, which had been nigh impossible to track down reveals that none of the doppelgangers could hold their own against this walking wrecking ball. The Superman doppelganger burns through the behemoth's forehead with heat vision plus the attack is quick as well as precise like a scalpel. Superman from all the footage Question had seen of him only made use of heat vision as a last resort yet never as a weapon to maim someone or something.

_What would it take to push Superman to do such a thing or even someone that looks like him?_

Luthor's ace in the hole is what happened that evening because he would have seen them together, the so-called real Justice League and those masquerading as them. Cadmus is afraid of what would or will happen if the League starts behaving like the doppelgangers. They did disable the behemoth yet not before sizable damage is done to the surrounding area plus a monorail almost went off the tracks with dozens of passengers aboard it if not for the timely intervention by the Wonder Woman doppelganger. These doppelgangers were obviously also out of practice yet each tries to cover up that they have not had a fight like that one in some time, another clue to be sure.

_They are obviously not clones so what were they then?_

Batman exits the Batmobile and begins his sweep to make a stealth infiltration of Waller's home. Batman also left his comlink behind on purpose, but of course Question still possesses other ways to find out what Batman would discuss with Waller. He is inside for some time and they are obviously talking about the incident that is the focus of the tangent regarding Cadmus' fears as well as how it ties into all their operations regarding the Justice League. Question's comlink goes off as the Martian is calling for Batman and since he is unable to raise him since it rests inactive in the driver's seat.

"Batman is a little busy at the moment; I'll let him know you were calling J'onn."

"_See that you do Question, there is a situation building up at San Banquero as the island's volcano is due to erupt in a matter of hours. A plan to evacuate the populace and stem the eruption's impact on the island is already in the works."_

"Why bother Batman with this when there are others who are probably closer?"

"_Standard Operating Protocol, he prefers to be kept in the loop even if he is not on the scene."_

"Figures… well like I said I'll let him know…"

The message ends only moments before the retractable hood shifts back and Batman climbs back inside. Waller undoubtedly had plenty to say and so did Batman, but neither appear to have backed down. They return to Gotham and then after locking away the Batmobile, Batman signals for a teleport to the Watchtower though Question in a word hitches a ride as he calls for a teleport only a few seconds later.

[+++]

The seven converge on the entrance to the rumored Founders' Conference room, which implies that Waller said certain things that invites the need for such a meeting while Waller herself is likely conducting something similar back at Cadmus.

"Secret meetings... what a non-surprise," comments Huntress.

"Guess you heard about it too… doesn't surprise me how accurate the rumor mill up here can be."

"There is a rumor mill up here?" chuckles Huntress.

"This is about more than just the impending eruption at San Banquero, but of course those seven are not going to say anything further."

"You knot your tie tighter than usual today?" jests Huntress.

"No, I mean no one does that unless they want die of asphyxiation."

She can be witty yet this situation with Cadmus is no laughing matter plus if Question and Batman have only begun to figure out anything about Cadmus, it means nobody else believes or wants to suspect that some covert or unofficially sanctioned agency is keeping tabs on them. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash accompany the League members being sent to San Banquero though of course there is a visible annoyance in the Kryptonian's facial expression though he tries to bury it. The less one covers on their face, the more one worries about what others are reading from it, which of course contradicts the saying less is more at least with facial language.

If the situation were not being what is now, Batman might have made a wry grin seeing him standing next to Huntress and he might return the favor by jesting at the fact that she is going on a mission with other men. Today is not a day for verbal sparring for him or Batman.

"You enjoy verbal spars with _Bruce_ don't you?" quips Huntress.

"It seems secret identities aren't what they used to be, are they _Helena_?" retorts Question.

"So that makes you the unknown man for… only question is who is _Question_?"

"There is more to it than that _Huntress_."

"Some women might dig mysterious or faceless, but see, I prefer the direct approach. I think Wonder Woman does too, but Batman being the kind of man he is, she is waging a one sided fight to convince him otherwise. Only he can change his mind and he does not do that very often."

"Very perceptive for you though I had come to a similar conclusion years ago."

"You like to get there first too… you don't like leaving anything to chance or variable."

"You aren't the only one who can read body language especially if you spent so much time trying to read mine."

Question feigning disinterest in the conversation's shift of towards his intentions as well as hers begins to slip away yet she does not follow, at least not yet anyway.

[+++]

As for San Banquero everything appears to be going smoothly until contact is cut off with Superman just moments after an unidentified craft penetrates the air space above the island. Superman would attempt something similar to what he did at Ayers Island several years ago except instead of neutralizing nuclear reactors remnants; he would be diffusing the lava flow so that it would go as straight as possible to the ocean. It is a sound plan, but one not that did not account for the gray behemoth being on the loose again. The Watchtower's satellites detect a missile on course for the island not long after contact with Superman is lost.

"There is an inbound missile heading for San Banquero," says J'onn.

Batman almost immediately contacts Waller and demands that the missile attack be aborted so she does attempt to abort it, but of course it is out of range and Eiling had made the call with the intention of getting rid of Superman, Doomsday, and the island's drug trade. Question follows Batman straight down to the Javelin Bays, but of course the former seals the Javelin's entry points the instant he is at the controls. Question falls back once figuring that Batman intends to have the Javelin drop straight down full knowing that the multirole craft is not designed for that kind of reentry yet one is also thinking this is the same man who took a space station out of orbit to smash it into a bypass generator.

Question only briefly considers _does Batman… does Bruce… have a death wish? _

It does not appear to be that, he just believes that he is the only one that can divert the missile even though by powers alone both Flash and Wonder Woman are faster. Question notices that Huntress had come down here too, but this only happens after she heard about what Batman is doing to divert the missile, she thought might see the start of it perhaps.

"Word got around that Batman is gonna try to redirect a missile," comments Huntress.

"I have a feeling the missile is intended for something a little more specific than having Batman lead it away from an island that is about to heat up in more ways than one," remarks Question.

"What are you getting at?"

"The missile if J'onn told me right is spiking, as in radioactive spiking."

"What?"

"Kryptonite radiation to be precise as far as radiation type goes in this pickle."

"Someone is targeting Superman, how is that news?"

"It is news because they think that firing a missile at him will also get rid of the behemoth he is fighting in the bowels of the island's volcano."

They race back to the Monitor Hub and most of the screens above or around J'onn consoles are keeping tabs on San Banquero. Waller did not register as the type to order this kind of strike, but then people's predilections like their intentions are not always as transparent as they appear to be no matter how close an eye is kept on them or him or her. Batman's Javelin latches onto the missile after the countermeasures fail to alter its course. There is no way to raise Batman, no way to determine if he could have gotten out from up here, and so they would have to wait and wonder if he would survive the feat he just undertook to skewer a missile.

[+++]

San Banquero is now a dead rock thanks to the eruption, but of course the upset or the blame from a technical standpoint is the behemoth. The lava as nearly as Question could tell probably had encased the behemoth in the rock once the rock itself got cool enough. Another secret Founders meeting, this time without Batman, decides the fate of this 'interloper' and so another dead end in trying to resolve questions about the entity as well as why Cadmus had made him. There is no doubt that this being is another one of Cadmus' pet projects. Superman after beaming up after the fight barely looks capable of doing anything except going to the infirmary.

He'll recover whereas Batman's… Bruce's injuries will take longer and so Question decides to try to eavesdrop on an infirmary visit between Superman and Batman. He only hopes that Superman's super hearing or any number of vision types did not expose him. There is definitely an argument going on between them, they have been known to disagree in the past, but this is different, definitely different. Perhaps this will unravel some of the mystery surrounding this Doomsday as well as those doppelgangers that had something do with Luthor's pardon as well as part of why Cadmus is doing what it is doing even now.

"_Passing judgment like gods, with our super-powered army and our orbiting death ray... Cadmus is right to be scared. The human race wouldn't stand a chance,"_ snaps Batman.

Question in the dark somewhere nearby dryly smirks then holds back a frown, so now Batman… Bruce is beginning to consider the other side's view of the League despite how paranoid it sounds at least if the other side's worst fears ever gain realization.

"_We'd never go there. It isn't in our nature and nothing can change that,"_ responds Superman.

Superman is one to talk considering how readily Darkseid was able to mess around with his head and make him turn on Earth. It is starting to add up between the Founders' secrecy, the expanding roster, the binary fusion gun, but something is still missing yet becomes clear in Batman's next line.

"_Nothing? What if Luthor does become President, like he did in __**their **__world? What would stop you from doing what __**that**__ Superman did?"_ retorts Batman.

Luthor as President would definitely not sit well with the Man of Steel, but what did he mean by Luthor becoming president in their world as well as what that Superman did in reaction to said event?

_What if they were not merely doubles, but they were alternate selves of familiar heroes?  
_

It would account for the drastic costume change, the sharp twist in behavior, and the absence of Flash in particular. Flash does not appear the sort who would go along with a League behaving like supernatural arbiters..

"_There's always that Kryptonite sliver you carry around,"_ jests Superman.

Superman still tries to downplay the seriousness if though he too retains concerns about Cadmus. His statement also confirms that the utility belt must have a specialized slot for said Kryptonite sliver.

"_YOU DON'T GET TO JOKE! Not today! I just took a bullet for you!"_

Batman appears to be finding the pretense of behaving like it is just another day very unrealistic.

"_I'm sorry, Bruce. You're right. But you don't have to worry about the Justice League. Trust me. You know me."_

Superman tries to apologize yet Batman is of course in one of those moods now, but could Question really qualify it as just another moody situation for Batman.

"_Yeah, I do."_

They leave Bruce to rest and recover from his injuries and for a time Question wonders if Batman will leave the League, but the Dark Knight Detective is likely to stay with the team because perhaps somehow maybe he thought he could convince Waller as well as Cadmus that they are wrong. Question contemplates investigating further to reveal what exactly Batman meant by all those events he made reference to as well as other questions about those who had masqueraded as the Founders back when they were still only seven.

[+++]

The other Green Lantern's costume incidentally resembles the one John Stewart wears yet he had grown a beard perhaps to offset the bald look. As for Hawkgirl who now no longer answers to that alias, her other's costume had a very passing resemblance to the feminine variant of a Thanagarian military uniform. The strongest correlation was for a time the headgear, except after leaving the League behind, she abandoned everything that could link her to Thanagar, but she couldn't change her biology of course. The resurrected and rage driven Solomon Grundy was what brought her back into the League. Inza Nelson had a way with words of course though deep down Question believes she is still looking for atonement even though she resonates with a fear that she'll never get it, like she could spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. People would either forgive her or not, but what matters more to her is that the six, in particular John Stewart would let them be like a family again.

The almost arms' length behavior stems from how her knowledge helped the Thanagarians neutralize all of them once Batman discovered their real mission regarding Earth, not the smoke and mirrors tale involving the Gordanians, but one could imagine once she heard the truth from Hro's mouth presumably, she would either have to accept it or defy it. The only way Batman could have found a way to wreck the plan would be with her help and so the mystery around what happen to the League in the wake of the Occupation is made clear. No wonder people saw her as a traitor, but a critical moment she made Earth's salvation possible though of course all other action overshadows that even now. She wastes no energy trying to dissuade the press of their opinions about her and grudgingly tolerates the animosity yet the League welcomes her back. They had not forgotten, but some had missed her, so some had forgiven her.

Back to the considerations about these others especially as the costumes in general look militaristic and stylized to compliment each other instead of contrasting as the League at the time had done. The costumes nowadays still differ, but having similiar looks implies a different kind of symbolism. A symbolism of authority and not necessarily a benevolent one. One thing still nags him with the absence of a Batman and a Flash in that footage, but the Flash he had known definitely given him the impression that a Flash would be involved with an authority symbolism. A Batman might go along yet it would take something very specific to draw him it. However all the others would fall into line behind someone with Kryptonian powers if the situation predicates them all towards being more proactive not unlike the League is right now.

So far there is no tangible evidence that such a photo negative version of these familiar heroes exist. The only thing that backs up this supposition so far is the salvaged news footage of the fight that night between Doomsday and the five who were masquerading as the League on that evening. Batman's statement implies that there is an alternate reality one where something went 'wrong'. Something involving at the very least another Luthor and another Superman, but what exactly is unclear for the moment.

The way Batman… the way Bruce… spoke about this alleged experience is indicative that it had a serious effect on him, but unlike the others he is not content to behave like they assuredly are avoiding what happen to their other selves. There is a theory in physics that all possibilities that can happen, do happen except only in alternate realities. It all reverts back to theory as Question does not believe in or trust what suppositions and theories tell him yet clearly something happen in the months prior to the Thanagarian Occupation that clearly shook up the League and put them in Cadmus' cross hairs.

The mutual paranoia could destroy the world if and possibly when things get out of hand. Nothing is more unsettling than to find the world escalating towards its own destruction unless the journey is derailed before the clocks strike zero hour. The countdown continues yet there is no way to know for certain how much time may be left to avert all the possible pathways to the end of the world. It almost feels fatalistic to suggest the world is driving towards its own annihilation, but the road to hell is not always paved with good intentions, for there is always no shortage of bad ones either.

* * *

A/N 1: This part is set after Dark Heart yet during The Doomsday Sanction. Question is obviously feeling a little stone walled by Batman because while story wise he got to go with him to see Waller, he didn't actually get to talk to her yet he can surmise what their chat was about. He had suspicions about secret Founders' meetings, but of course after Batman's second encounter with Waller, there is another.

A/N 2: Question's misgivings about things like the binary fusion gun are given credence by the Dark Heart incident plus what happens at San Banquero similarly instills misgivings into Batman especially as Superman tried to lobotomize Doomsday as his Justice Lords counterpart had done. As established in the comics, the same attack method never works twice on Doomsday,which carries over in this version of Doomsday.

A/N 3: Question is zeroing in what he suspects fuels Cadmus' anxieties about the Justice League while also suspecting that the Thanagarian Occupation is not the only thing influencing the League's 'philosophies.'

A/N 4: Next up... probably Task Force X. Basically I am following the Cadmus Arc though some non-Cadmus episodes will serve as background for the arc of this story.


	6. Variables

Belle Reve Penitentiary once a prison, but now, nobody knows for sure, at least not officially. Furthermore a few high profile criminals have also gone 'missing' in recent months now ordinarily some would react positively to said disappearances. The first of those disappearances was Tempus Fugate aka the Clock King who after his last attempt to kill Gotham's Mayor Hill went along quietly though he did attempt to rig elections after his release. After that not much of him was seen though apparently he did appear to be dropping out of crime by starting his own clock shop, but conveniently about the same time, no pun meant there, Fugate vanishes, the shop changes hands. Fugate's disappearance does not appear to concern Batman because Fugate's never had much 'success' as a criminal, but the disappearance at first seems only noteworthy to Question.

Fugate could never really design his time affecting technology alone or maintain them alone either. However as the Clock King, Fugate's sense of timing is nothing short of impeccable, again no pun meant, but of course Question got a chuckle out of thought anyway. It made him a superb strategist yet he could never match wits with Batman to say the least. His disappearance is an anomaly, but then another lead disappears weeks after Fugate's disappearing act. This time one Betty Sans Souci aka Plastique similarly has all her affairs put in order before she too stops appearing in her usual spots or her residence in Quebec. As Plastique, Betty is known for her expertise in all things explosive, but her expertise in explosives are not limited to weaponry alone if the way men in many cases react towards her is any indication. Her beauty and charms are hers alone though it would take a certain kind of man to wrangle her interest.

One's an anomaly, two's a trend at least that is how the saying goes, but of course the disappearances do not end with Souci. Next to vanish is a regular Rogue from Central City, an Australian named George Harkness, better known to Flash as Captain Boomerang, whose weapons of choice include all manner of well boomerangs of course. His disappearance is more suspicious than Fugate and Souci because those two were on probation, very restrictive probation, but Harkness was doing time for his crimes. A review of the visitor logs from the Iron Heights, which itself rivals Alcatraz, says much given the now defunct Alcatraz's inmate reputation, indicates that Harkness had one regular visitor prior to his disappearance. Harkness was transferred out of Iron Heights and after that the paper trail goes into a black hole.

Harkness like Fugate is an inventor, but unlike Fugate he is purported to be an expert thief except he is quite often caught by Flash if he is stealing in Central City. It appears none of Flash's Rogues take him that seriously though not necessarily everyone would take him seriously given his propensity to make jokes. Question during his brief trip to Central City begins to learn quite a few things about Flash if only by observing the speedster in action and while his _modus operandi_ seems confusing at first, it actually works for Flash. He apprehends them with ease, but not so much due to his speed. Flash cultivates a personable connection between himself and the villains even when they do not desire it.

His methods are a far cry from Batman or Superman still gets the job done, and he also manages to cultivate friendships with countless Central City citizens. He is close to so many without revealing his identity and from what little is seen of one Linda Park, it is clear that she has a thing for the Scarlet Speedster. Question for a moment considers what triggers attractions between superheroes and reporters, but romances are bound to start someway, somehow, some where even with Flash.

There is no need to divulge that he is Wally West, but of course on the few occasions that Question had spoken to Flash, he found the speedster to be a grounded yet slightly humorous man. He could sense why so many found him frustrating and irritating yet to each their own way of operating though even Question suspects it had taken a long time for any to warm up to him especially Batman. The other cause to be watchful of Flash is because of the other reality that Batman indirectly referred to in his argument with Superman after what happen in San Banquero.

[+++]

The most unusual yet not surprising is the fourth disappearance is Floyd Lawton. Lawton for his part in any number of high profile assassinations and the attempted assassination of Aquaman several years ago was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death. However his death sentence is for the lack of a better word got 'commuted' and then he too dropped out of sight. Lawton as Deadshot had amassed a reputation as a solid assassin for hire and his fixation with atypical killing methods were often the hallmark that had always given him away especially if Batman was on the case. It was found out that the attempt on Aquaman's life was staged by his brother Orm and if not for the League or so more so Batman than the King of Atlantis would have died.

Lawton was by no means easy to capture that time and the next time he appeared was after Superman's presumed demise after the Kryptonian had taken the point blank blast from Toyman's robot's chest cannon. Toyman had been aiming it at Batman and Wonder Woman. It was a very brave and foolish thing to do, but one could not help being moved by it, not even Question. The wake was a beautiful thing too yet Batman did not appear during the event at least not on camera. It was clear from the news footage of the purported death scene that Batman held a scrap of fabric of what was left of Superman's cape at the scene. The scene bore no signs of destruction because all that was hit by the weapon's blast simply disappeared yet where did it go was a question in mind.

In the end, it really must have seen like Superman was gone yet Batman appeared to have held out the longest. Superman appears alive and well the day after his wake was astonishing to say the least. The League's third encounter with Vandal Savage happens soon after because apparently Savage was trying to steal technology from Ray Palmer aka the Atom. There was an upsurge of disbelief yet as he had gone around the city and getting back to his modus operandi, the people knew their purported protector was back. It must have infuriated Luthor a little even though at the wake he professed that he too would miss Superman.

As for Lois, one would hope she did not have a heart attack upon seeing her hero alive, but of course she would have probably gotten over it eventually and been all affectionate in spades.

[+++]

The only connection to Lawton in that event was he had taken part in the rampage that almost over took Metropolis in Superman's absence. He was priming to fire a shot that could have killed Batman if Superman had been there at that exact moment and Question could only in grimness imagine a world without Superman or Batman. Likewise if Superman had been a split second too late in getting hit by the beam only a few days before that Batman and Wonder Woman would have been sent to that future. As for whether they would have survived the journey is another question, both the journey via a time warp that would tear of their molecules apart then reassemble them somewhere or some when else. There is also how would they survive long to find a way back?

If had been them instead of Superman, Batman might have perished in that future thus creating a paradox dependent on whether or not Wonder Woman attempted to find a way to prevent Batman from being sent into the future with the past her. Time travel as a concept tended to be quite a headache though Question eventually learned the League had already had at least one experience with time travel when Savage changed the outcome World War Two forcing the six of them unaffected somehow by the change to go back to 'correct' history. The description of the Batman from the alternate present is expected though of course he would be leading a resistance yet in the six of them being insulated from changes they might have somehow caused there to be lack of alternate versions of themselves in that time line.

One explanation is that they were shielded yet still present when history changed around them, which is about the best possible solution to that question. The altered outcome of World War Two merely illustrated the ripple effect of altering the past and by going to 'reset' the past, it presumably restored the present to its previous state. Only they would be aware if it was reset though that is still theoretical because the League again encounters Savage except in the present though he tried to masquerade as a descendant, a grandson of Vandal Savage, but something about him convinced Wonder Woman otherwise. It had also been the mission to lay the foundation to the romance between Batman and Wonder Woman, but that rests on speculation too.

Question deletes the tangents relating to musings about the significance of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. He also erases ones pertaining to the four missing criminals though there is still the tangent about why they are missing though it reads like a Cadmus stratagem.

The musings about the missing criminals' connections to the League founders are also deleted from his computer.

[+++]

Question makes his way to the commissary and finds it busier than usual for this time of day. There is plenty of relationship chatter today especially about Batman and Wonder Woman.

Some might ask why Paris and Question considers remarking _why not Paris_?

Such chatter was always the source of rumor mill speculations, but of course Question kept his presence in the commissary to a minimal. Most would stay away from him as without even trying, he somehow suspected he alienated plenty of people; it is not that he is not a people person, but Question for his own motives remains to this day very particular about social interactions. It is occasionally baffling that if he ever sits at already occupied table, the volume level drops, and from time to time some dash through the remainder of their meal just to get away from him.

_What are they so afraid of? Is it that I don't show my face? Everyone in this room wears masks. Some are literal, others are psychological, and the rest are of other varieties or variable. I might know the faces, the eyes, the names, but that would be all I do know without insanely investigating all of you. I'm not that paranoid, Cadmus might be, but they have got the manpower to find you all out. I did warn Batman that they probably know who we all are except perhaps a few including me. Hardcastle confirmed it the last time I saw him alive.  
_

"You don't have heat vision otherwise you'd burn through all that by now."

Somebody sits across from Question, it is Huntress of course, but what is her game today wonders Question. He hides surprise when he feels her boot touch his leg, but then occasionally thoughts of her doing things like that did crack his tangent threading. She coyly smiles at him knowing that he is probably enjoying this. Most men would react to such gestures quickly, but he remains in his seat and showing no signs of movement at all until feeling something touching her. Two can play this game is probably the thought in mind for Question. However as soon as it begins, it is over, and they leave separately. There is a lot of whispering going on as she does have a slight flush while he exits the room yet showing nothing.

She glares at the table where Supergirl and several other female Leaguers are eating together. Lip reading on her part indicates they are talking about men, maybe even Question for that matter.

"How about you leave the girl talk for the off-hours farm girl," quips Huntress.

"I thought it would take super hearing for her to hear that," comments Crimson Fox.

"There is also something called lip reading Fox," snaps Huntress.

"Easy no need for a cat fight in the commissary," remarks Vixen.

"I am done here, besides probably got a mission waiting for me knowing J'onn," chirps Ice.

"I too must go, so perhaps I'll see some of you later," says Fire.

Fire and Ice leave together, the two did spend a lot of time together, but of course friendships, relationships, and animosity all exist in tandem especially among the expanded roster. Stargirl departs too saying that S.T.R.I.P.E. said he would need her assistance with repairs to his armored suit. Vixen sprints across the room after spotting Lantern. Huntress and Supergirl stare each other down until Superman and Batman arrive from opposite directions. The two had been avoiding each other since what happen at San Banquero, but even so everyone seem to be sliding to an edge from time to time lately.

Huntress leaves without saying anything further and wonders for a moment why she suddenly had come to Question's defense especially when he was the subject of girl talk of all things. At the same time, she had also flirted with him only moments before though her mind recoils at the idea yet she had done it.

_Get a grip Helena, he is a conspiracy theorist, you have had a room across the hall from him for weeks, and still all you know about him involves what he always wears because he appears to dress the same in all situations. Nobody wants to be in costume all the time unless Question is more of a workaholic than Batman. Every time we speak, it feels like he is hiding something and it has nothing to do with his face._

Huntress… Helena… feels like she had gotten over the fact she has yet to see the face behind Question's mask though her curiosity about the face remains at the back of her mind for the time being. She stops by her quarters then knocks on his door, he is not there, probably went planet side after leaving the commissary. She couldn't blame him; she is starting to hate it up here being in such proximity, so frequently with this many costumes is more agitating than her search for Mandragora. He would pay, she felt certain that she would be the one to make him pay, but so far he seems to have dropped out of sight again.

She beams down and tries to put Question out of mind for awhile.

[+++]

The individual who had approached and recruited Harkness is Colonel Rick Flagg, but this verification had only come from tracking down hidden camera footage yet again. Cadmus is being almost predictable about covering their tracks. It fits their M.O., to conceal or erase any trace of movement. Likewise Question also finds that Flagg is the man who handed off the paperwork for Lawton's death sentence to be commuted, and more than likely Flagg is the Cadmus connection between the missing four. It turns out Lawton was doing his time at Belle Reve, which is a rival for Arkham. There is obviously some kind of plan in mind with bringing these four together, but what for is the next question in the tangent.

Nobody has seen Lawton's face at least not recently aside from the prison personnel at Belle Reve. Harkness would be recognizable to Flash and Fugate likewise would be familiar to Batman of course. As for Souci, a pretty face is noticeable, but blend the four of them into a crowd, well then one might miss them. Next issue is where they would be going to blend in with a crowd that would warrant Cadmus sending them instead one of their own teams, but plenty of Cadmus security personnel have been by the League. Their faces would be recognizable to whoever was either on hand for Cadmus taking the Ultimen back or from the Cadmus cleanup crew for the Dark Heart.

The idea of recruiting criminals would likely cause a twitch for Flagg, but he get over, he is a 'patriot'.

"_I think it is an exploit angle for there to be a support staff on the Watchtower," comments Question._

"_I'll take your concerns under recommendation," answers Superman._

The conversation with Superman on subject had proven to be the wasted one. The chat with Batman shows him to be more receptive. Superman is too trusting until there is undeniable proof right in front of him and as for Batman; he made sure that security got a bit of beefing though that was about as far as that went at the time. Everyone carries a security encrypted identification card at all times, but the technology is almost too easily to duplicate even with all the encryption layers. It would be simpler to forge fake ones or better yet capture a support team at a beam up site then alter the photo images on the cards.

The simplest tricks are the ones people ignore at their own peril as well as treating the checking of such things as tedious. He had seen it happen quite frequently after the protocol had become a permanent fixture even on the satellites. Lax and lapse could get people injured or killed, but then such things had been the topic of debate for centuries though more recent events made it the subject touchy again.

As for Cadmus possibly intending to infiltrate the support staff... it would require proof of some kind. However he could not track every beam up sites so either he lets it happen despite his suspicions or warn someone and hope they would believe him. The only way Cadmus could learn about the beam up sites is for there to be an insider already among the support staff and so a screening of his latest copy of the Watchtower's archives is in order. The insider would have to be someone usable by Cadmus though just as easily left behind without any way of proving who exactly he was helping to infiltrate League operations, which means this team is going after the Watchtower for something.

There are still sections of the Watchtower that Question lacks the authorization to enter, which is just another reason to be somewhat wary of the Founders. However in the interests of protecting whoever is put in harm's way by being caught between the League and the Cadmus team, he would have to find out what they would be after if he should be unable to prevent them from getting inside. The support staff screening produces a handful of potential Cadmus double agents including a Monitor Hub technician named Vance so he prepares to forward the information to J'onn. However something is preventing him from raising the Watchtower.

"Question to J'onn."

There is no response, which meant he miss the window of opportunity to stop them.

[+++]

The Cadmus team had already come and gone by the time that Question had found out exactly what they had come for except they left two behind to take the fall including one of Question's double agent suspects.

The suspect is Vance.

The other left behind is Betty Sans Souci. J'onn and Stewart are already questioning them though naturally neither is saying much. J'onn admits to considering mind wiping Vance, which could probably only incense Cadmus to add it to the log of immoral behavior by the League. The Martian decides against it yet Stewart also makes the obvious commentary that now they can no longer afford to trust any staffer completely. Cadmus found the crack and widened it though nobody admits to Question that his suspicion about staffer infiltration is correct.

Question feels more unease at not stopping Cadmus as they had already gotten away with murder, with genetic manipulation, with employing criminals to conduct a heist aboard the Watchtower, and made a dent in the trust between the League and the staffers. Superman is obviously furious that Cadmus was able to penetrate the League's nerve center. Batman makes no sign of a response yet clearly the idea that Cadmus used criminals to assist in this action bothers him. As for Wonder Woman, she nearly broke the table in the Founders' Conference Room. Question could hear it through the walls yet then again who could not her slamming her fists into it.

Wonder Woman had intermittently shown behavior in recent weeks of being harsher to criminals or enemies simply because she is tired of them making keeping the world safer harder. One could appreciate the frustration yet Question had seen all types of crime transpiring without single drop of hindsight in regards to who might be hurt or who puts others' safety ahead of theirs. It had been on one of those occasions that Wonder Woman was paired with Hawk and Dove. If Dove had not seen through what powered the Annihilator than things could have gone much worse with the on-going Kasnian Civil War.

As it turns out, the Annihilator is precisely what the Cadmus team stole from the vault, but they completely ignored the Achilles' disruptor, definitely curious to say the least about it. He examines whatever traces he could find regarding their movements on the Watchtower. The bomb that Souci used on the reactor was a diversion to enable Flagg and Harkness to break into the vault. The video footage shows Lawton using one of those non-metallic guns, clever way to dodge the metal detectors and as for Flagg he appears to have not used any weapons. The absence of Fugate implies he was the only keeping them on the timetable because the whole incident seems orchestrated towards the theft of the Annihilator. As for why the Annihilator, they would have to find a way to use it without relying on the established trigger functionality otherwise it just sits there doing nothing except collecting dust.

They had done all of this with J'onn, Stewart, and Captain Atom aboard the Watchtower. It is perplexing, but then they had the timing more or less.

[+++]

"Betty Sans Souci aka Plastique… demolitions/explosive expert… so what is the deal with you and Floyd Lawton?" queries Question.

"Don't you want know about the team? Why we were up here?"

"I already know why you were here."

"You didn't try to stop us though."

"Who said I wasn't trying?"

"The League doesn't believe the suspicions of its resident paranoid."

"And they say I am the one with the mouth."

"Fine you want to know about me and Lawton. He is an attractive man with a flair for the dramatic and can do anything with weapons; you saw it in the footage no doubt."

She had no interest in dying by one of her own bombs plus it was a diversion anyway as Question had suspected after visiting the site.

"Your little surprise on the reactor could have turned this station into dust, so why did you not use a more power explosive?"

"You nuts? We wouldn't blow ourselves up just to get rid of the League… besides Flagg would have…"

"Would have what?"

Betty is clearly sweating between the injuries and unease about ratting out Flagg.

"We were ordered to not kill anyone."

"Casualties do more than cause a mess of paperwork."

"I'm surprised they left me behind."

She looks sad, probably had to do with Lawton more than anything else.

"It probably bothers Lawton, but Flagg strikes me as the type to believe in acceptable losses."

"As you can see I am pretty banged up, at least I think I still have my looks."

"It'll take more than your looks to keep you out of jail after this…"

Question turns to leave the secured room used to treat Souci's injuries.

"Wait… Flagg said we were each on a five year stint to this thing called Task Force X."

"Is it a part of Cadmus?"

"How should I know? I thought this was a black ops steal for the military given Flagg's involvement."

Question finally exits the room and tries to put seeing Betty looking like the world was over at least for her out of his mind.

[+++]

Another woman however invades his thoughts... Huntress... as well what his investigation into her past had led him to discover though of course it only deepens his interest in her. Variables kept his mind sharp, kept it tumbling, and kept him alive because there is no resting on assumptions because the Task Force X heist had shown the League made the assumption that they could freely trust staffers except there is no such thing as complete trust. All he could do is follow the variables within his musings on tangents yet at the same time the pathways are bringing him closer to Huntress… to Helena… he inwardly admits he more than likes her on many levels.

* * *

A/N 1: Enter Task Force X, in this update Question investigates each one after they 'disappear' and of course identifies Colonel Flagg as the connection between the four. It is never shown who recruited Fugate, Souci, or Harkness, so Question merely suspects it was him.

A/N 2: There are references to several episodes from various DCAU series including **The Clock King** and **Time Out of Joint** from BtAS. Other references to **The Savage Time**, **The Enemy Below**, **Maid of Honor**, **Hereafter** and **Hawk and Dove**. The BtAS ones relate to Tempus Fugate.

A/N 3: Question's musings about the ties between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are at best him wondering about the symbolic significance of them as well as how important they are to each other. It is also about how they could change if something drastic happens as it nearly has several times already, but this time is different because there's no reset waiting at the end of the maze... permanent consequences.

A/N 4: I realize Question doesn't appear in this episode, but this is how I figured he might have or at the very least how he could have become aware of Task Force X yet still being unable to stop them. The fate of Betty Sans Souci aka Plastique is unclear aside from her sustaining severe injuries. She is being treated, as for whether she survives well I doubt she'll appear again after this point in keeping with JLU continuity.

A/N 5: The commissary scene is a bit of sexual tension for Question and Huntress. As for Huntress berating Supergirl, it is part of how she settles into the awareness that she is feeling something for Question. I think she did do something like this in the series, so I'll have to check my DVDs again.


	7. Flirtations

Huntress pursues the latest lead on her parents' killer's location, which leads her of course to a rather exquisite looking mansion. It is a very scarcely guarded one too, which should have set off something in the back of her brain.

However when it comes to her ongoing search for Steven Mandragora, her compulsion to take him down overrides everything else, but then she never could tell how Batman put up with such memories, his parents were murdered by a mugger. He had been in plain sight with them yet was not killed along with them.

She on the other hand, she was hidden from her parents' killer, hidden by her father, there were times where she actually had wished to have died along side them simply because she did not want to grow up in a world without them. There are also times when she wonders if she ever left that closet at all, that some part of her is still watching the scene unfold again and again and again.

Some part of her refuses to forget because if she did then they really are dead though even she had to wonder...

_Would that be so bad?_

The two in front of the limo are talking about scones of all things. One dart arrow to pin one to the limo and as for the other with the gun, a second dart arrow destroys the gun in his hand. Huntress closes the gap then vaults over his shoulder. She tosses Tony into Cecil, Cecil passes out from the weight of Tony's body colliding with his, but Tony gets the receiving end of the second vault as it enables her to land on both of them to make sure they were both out cold.

_Mandragora is either getting bold or stupid to be this lax with security._

[+++]_  
_

She lets off a grappler arrow then propels herself upward to a window that she knows would place her in the corridor closest to Mandragora's bedroom. She felt on edge though this is the closest she has gotten to him since the night he killed her parents. She enters through the window after making sure it would not trip the silent alarm. Next she sprays the corridor to make the lasers visible, which in theory is possible though some laugh off the idea as some fictional contrivance. She follows up with hand over head flips in order to bypass the now visible lasers.

The bedroom door like the grounds, the window, and the lasers seems too easy to bypass though she pushes it away despite the nagging feeling that is a setup. She prepares to fire several arrow darts into the bed after saying her piece to the presumably sleeping Mandragora except the next thing to amp up her suspicions is the absence of any breathing except her own. However she still fires yet not even a death rattle or whatever noise something his size would make when dying can be heard so she yanks away the covers.

_Oldest bedroom fake out trick in the book, use the pillows to mimic a sleeping body, but it would have been a better fake out if they had a tape player with sounds of his breathing or snoring._

Her earpiece comlink goes off, it is J'onn, and of course he sounds unhappy. She feels the familiar tingle of a teleport beam and then she is on the teleport pad with J'onn approaching her.

"You were warned. You were told to stay away from Mandragora. You have violated my direct orders. You have crossed the line."

"You have been watching me?!?"

"Given what occurred tonight what I'd say it was a wise precaution."

"You know what Mandragora did and I almost had him… he should have been there but someone tipped him."

It occurs to her at the exact second that J'onn had given her away.

"I had Mandragora moved yes for his own protection _and yours_."

"So I get some Justice League demerits, but spare me the lecture."

"You misunderstand, tonight was a test, and you failed. Pack your things Huntress, you are out. You'll need to turn your identification card…"

It is not quite the turn she had thought would come from this yet her aim remains impeccable as she flings the card at J'onn before leaving the teleport pad.

"I hope you choke on it!"

[+++]

She figures this day was bound to come sooner or later as her tendencies are not that favorable least of all with the Founders. Her door codes will remain valid until she beams back to the surface permanently, but in a way it is better to be back to freelance, to be solo, the only part that surprisingly bothers her is leaving Question alone up here to weather the chatter that paints him so negatively. The lights go on dim after she opens the door, two Leaguers pass behind her, but she is too drawn inward to bother looking back.

_"Oh Cadmus, Cadmus, wherefore art thou Cadmus?"_

She straightens up in an effort to look her sensual best because she needs his help without looking like she needs it. In a rather confident move, she fires a dart into the far wall above his head, which gets his attention.

"Maybe you are not looking in the right direction. You're the League's data guy, conspiracy buff, right? Wildcat says you're a nut job."

_It is not like I agree with that assessment about you Question._

"Funny. He said the same thing about you."

_Oh, he is good at this._

"He's right."

_Let's see what you can do with that one._

He says very little after his quick redirect about Wildcat's assessment about her.

"You must be the ugliest guy of all time, Question, hiding your face like that."

_I am only teasing though of course you would probably take it literal you being you and all._

Their chat revolves around the conspiracy theory in all its details.

"Well I have a question for you. Do you know what apophenia is?"

She moves up behind him.

"Apophenia - noun. The tendency to see connections where none exist. Did you come here just to make fun of my work?"

"No Q I came here to help you..."

Huntress pulls herself up onto his desk facing him with her back to the wall. She moves her body in tandem with the words of her proposition. She crosses her legs before she slides the heel of her left boot closer to his legs then leans forward bringing her upper body into his presumed line of sight. It is possible that she arouses him in some way, but then she wonders if she misread his body language except he appears to be pulling away from her despite how his body appears to be reacting to her get this close to him. It is really a bit of guess work with his facial features hidden behind that mask. He hears her out, which is reassuring and then he agrees to help except they will have to meet up on the surface.

She goes back to her room and packs her scarce amount of belongings. He hand gestures that he will call her after he locks up his quarters.

She raises an eyebrow then realizes this is Question she is dealing with now. He could probably find anyone's number without a phone directory. As she returns to the teleport pad, she thinks only about going on a date and hopes that the Martian is not trying to get a sense of her surface thoughts. She had a few hours to wait before she would hear from Question though he is often notoriously punctual, but she did not understand the delay entirely.

[+++]

As for ways to pass the time, she slips out of her costume and into the shower. Some fixation always made her check all the locks before she went to bed or into the shower. It could be mere survival instinct, but it could also be she had no intent in being caught in bed or more embarrassing in the shower. Helena does a couple of quick flexes then removes the mask, next the cape, and after that she slides her legs out of the high heeled boots after unhooking them from the rest of her costume. The remainder of the costume comes off in short order and after that she steps into the shower then pulls curtain over. As the water runs down against her skin, her mind tumbles back to the day her parents were buried and she remembers it rained heavily that morning. It felt strange for the weather to reflect her feelings and her mood that day, but of course it seem fitting.

_This is also the first time she would wear black and somehow it felt fitting too as to convey mourning as well as death. She was told to keep quiet about who killed her parents for her own safety, but some part of her had begun to want to kill the fat man herself. No amount of psychiatric 'help' did much 'good' for her mind or her heart. She had taken plenty martial arts classes in the intervening years after her parents' murder, but of course no amount of training quite prepares anyone for trading jabs with opponents who fight dirty though she could slug it out even with some of the dirtiest fighters. _

_It took even more years to master marksmanship yet it felt worth the wait when she could virtually hit all targets with such precision that she could live up to an alias worthy of that level of marksmanship. She also had to take the time to learn how to fight with non-lethal weapons such as staffs. A skill that likewise had its uses in the field and at first Batman is receptive Huntress until her tendency to employ weapons as well as fight with an intensity that suggest she would do more than injure in a fight. He gradually put distance between himself and her much to her confusion then eventual disgust._

_Her perspective on that took a hit when finding out how exactly his parents died, but of course perspective of Batman and by extension Bruce Wayne becomes a slippery space when considering how much those deaths have affected his crime fighting style. She had met Nightwing later on during his first years as Huntress and learns that he had once been Batman's sidekick/partner. She left it up to him as to tell her or not tell her why they are no longer partners. At first glance it seems a disagreement over tactics, but it runs deeper as he once thought Batman to becoming far too ruthless, too cold about handing all the criminals they went up against._

_It made some grain of sense with someone like Joker, but roughing up someone who got wrangled into the situation yet had done nothing even struck her as unusual. As Wayne however, he had made some arrangements to help the man, which conveys that perhaps he sought to make amends for what he had done to the man as Batman. Nightwing concedes to having forgiven him on some level yet things would never go back to the way they were before._

_ **How could anything ever revert to the way anyone remembers it?**_

_It never can revert, it can only become something like it yet even then there is always something to be done. She also occasionally would encounter Robin II and he too had a taste of death in the family. It felt like every crime fighter she met in Gotham had a taste of death in their personal history except for Batgirl though she gotten a glimpse of a nightmarish outcome of her own death. Scarecrow is also not a villain to be taken lightly with the ability to manipulate people through fears or occasionally take those fears away._

_Batman once told her two separate tales about getting gassed by Scarecrow. The first almost made it impossible to function as it made manifest his worries that his mission was pointless and that by continuing he only shames himself as well as his dead family. It took apparently an unbelievable amount of will power to push through it. The other story is one where he had become totally fearless and it is a tale that Robin II recalls all too well as having been there to witness what being fearless does to someone like Batman. He had become in a word a maverick at least until Robin had gotten his hands on the antidote that Scarecrow was carrying otherwise Batman could have possibly killed Scarecrow. A Batman who could kill is not a pleasant image to have in mind._

_The next few times she saw any of the Batclan is usually went as well as it could, but even so, her reputation for being rougher than most of them had put a strain on her friendships with all of them. She had not come from as squeaky clean background as most of the Batclan with exception of Robin II aka Tim Drake. Tim's father was caught in some nasty business with Two-Face, which is how Tim ended up meeting and working with Batman. She kept apart from the Batclan because at the best of times they got along okay and at the worst she was better off not going near Gotham. _

_Things however became drastically different went the Hawkmen were policing cities like Gotham, Bludhaven, Metropolis, Central City, and others in full force. The League got the receiving of a trap from the Thanagarians. They rounded up costumes all over the globe without so much as a breaking sweat in some cases, but not everyone went quietly, she was not about to let them put her in a cell. She did manage to evade them often enough except what little news did get out indicated that plenty of familiar Gotham costumes were now in custody of the Thanagarians._

_She had almost no one to call upon for help at that stage except for anyone who did manage to dodge the Hawkmen as the news kept calling them whenever they did manage to break through the jamming of Earth based transmissions. The monotonous broadcasts made to implore Earth's citizens to obey the Occupational Authority's rules was enough to aggravate her into smashing a lot of televisions on her way to find some kind of help. It was strange approaching the GCPD for help given that plenty of them liked her even less than they liked Batman, but with Batman out of Gotham and being held by the Thanagarians, Gotham needs all the help it can get for the moment._

_As for how to break out the Batclan while keep casualties to a minimal among the SWATs accompanying her under the direction of Detective Montoya, now that would be tricky, but somebody had to get them out. She had known from the minute she appeared on the rooftop of GCPD Central that it would be a long night getting them out of captivity. However another unexpected arrival appears beside her and Montoya. Catwoman is on hand surprisingly as she had heard about what happen in some fashion is looking to help and neither woman is about to turn down her offer._

_Catwoman and Huntress lead the charge by deftly fighting their way through the Hawkmen who had mistakenly thought they had caught everyone in costume. Another drops in from the roof, it is Jason Blood who had also dodged the Hawkmen. The odds were certainly in their favor unless the Hawkmen had some way of neutralizing them too. Section by section they break through the light guard force left here to watch over Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, Supergirl, Steel, and Zatanna who was apparently planning to make a surprise visit to see Batman. Huntress was uncertain of how she had known Batman or for that matter that he was Bruce Wayne too. Selina likewise seems to be on a first name basis with most of the Batclan._

_The amalgam team afterward helps to reclaim Gotham and Bludhaven from the Hawkmen. A woman called Black Canary went into the fray yet Huntress had not seen her though based on some descriptions it would seem that she made good use of her body as a distraction as well as being one of Wildcat's students.  
_

_The Hawkmen eventually fall back world wide once whatever they were building in the Gobi Desert was destroyed by the Watchtower being taken out of orbit in order to smash into it. The Justice League almost seemed likely to dissolve after this incident yet it did not, not only that, but a whole new Watchtower array went into the works only weeks after the Thanagarian Occupation._

_Batman and the Batclan react thankfully towards Huntress for helping out during the crisis though she attributes a great deal of help to the GCPD's finest as well as Catwoman and Jason Blood. The mention of Catwoman makes both Bruce and Dick uneasy though she could discern why with ease though said nothing further on the matter.  
_

_She went back to freelance though even she had doubts about continuing as Huntress yet it was almost all she had left after devoting so many years to training herself as a crime fighter. She almost laughed at the notion that she could be, is, or was a crime fighter though Batman's invitation for her to join the expanding roster had gotten her interest._

[+++]

Her decision to accept Batman's invitations to join the League becomes yet another regret except when she had begun to see Question more often. His presence tended soothe her doubts just a little. He also appeared to be less judgmental of her than most men she had met in the crime fighting profession, but then her experiences in that area are limited to the likes of Batman and Nightwing. She had mocked him, teased him, and even flirted with him, but he was different in a way she had grown fond of lately. Helena exits the shower dripping wet and aware that somewhere in the midst of the flashbacks she had cried just a little with the taste of salt on her lips. She is quick to down some purified water and then settles into drying herself off though some part of her always felt like she never dry out, that some part of her was always watching her parents' coffins descend into the ground.

She shoves the thought away as she lets the towel fall to the bed and walks over to her closet to pull out a fresh costume. She kept a few spares for the sake of well having some extras if necessary plus it beats having to repair the same costume repeatedly. Before completely getting every piece on, she does a light work out then sits down to pull on her high heeled boots and for once in some years she felt rather feminine instead of just looking it. The hook straps connect with ease and then she attaches the cape before latching on the utility belt. The last detail is the mask, which she pulls down quickly though as a last minute extra she applies a bit of lipstick though she cannot rationalize why exactly so forgets about it for now.

Her cell phone starts ringing yet there is no indication of who the caller is so she wonders if she should answer it. She presses it to her ear then answers since it is one of those models that respond to voice commands.

"_I said I would call you remember?"_

"You had me waiting me."

"_Trust me it was worth it. However you will have to meet me at the location in the message I sent to your laptop and before you ask how I could do that… remind yourself who you are talking to... so uh see you there."_

The call ends before she could respond though he is probably working his way to wherever they were going to meet right now. Next time she would end the call on him that would show him she thinks to herself. She checks the laptop at his suggestion and indeed there are directions. She would have to drive a bit of distance though it would bring her closer to nabbing Mandragora so it would be worth the trip. She memorizes the route then deletes it per Question's request. The man was a bit paranoid even about a simple e-mail message, but then again it fits with Question's line of thinking.

[+++]

She had taken her loft's new look a little from the rig that Dick is using for his, but of course she made her own spin on it so instead of a descending tunnel, she had made use of an ascending one. The ground retracts as she on motorcycle launches through the opening and onto pavement in front of it then she revs the engine before accelerating away to her 'date' with Question. It registers as strange that he would have her drive to some underpass yet it would be the only way to get to Mandragora presumably. As she accelerates, the wind does cause her hair and cape to flow along with it.

"He's taken the lead this time, unexpected coming from him, still he must have seen I lied through my teeth about Cadmus, so why he is doing this?" murmurs Huntress.

After following all the directions, she is finally slowing up near the underpass so pulls her motorcycle into what appears to be abandoned tunnel sized pipe. As she walks out, her cell phone hidden in her utility belt goes off again and she jumps a little before realizing where she left it so quickly pulls out then answers it.

"_I presume you made it to the rendezvous point."_

"Alright Q you said you help me so where are they keeping Mandragora?"

He hangs up on her again.

"Oh, you didn't just hang up on me…"

She can hear the sound of a car engine behind her so she turns about to see who and what is heading her way. It zips past her after she steps closer to where she put her motorcycle then spins around leaving a bit of a smoke trail. She almost cringes at the fact that her gaze never left the movement of the Pontiac yet she notes that is Question driving it.

"I figured I'd cut out the middleman."

_You really have a way with words Q._

He revs the engine as if showing off the vehicle's power and to her it sounds well maintained for a car belonging to admittedly one of her favorite models from the late sixties. It purrs and roars then he slides over as if inviting her to drive it. She almost eyes him suspiciously. She still pulls the door out then slides into the driver's seat. Both buckle up and she grips the wheel.

"Oh, babydoll…"

She makes a side long glance at him noting he did not appear to expect her to say that to him.

"… and just for the record, I usually prefer my date's to have a face."

She pulls the shifter back, the engine purrs again only louder, and then she floors it. The 'date' is on as the Pontiac driven by Huntress exits the underpass and so Question directs her to the address of where they would find Mandragora. Men in her experience are usually very sensitive about their vehicles of choice yet letting her drive his is confusing and exciting at the same time. Some part of her still questions Question's motives here.

_I can't figure you out Q so I'll have to figure out a way to nail Mandragora when we get to him._

She might be stringing him along for this yet she is feeling attracted to him for his trust, maybe even his kindness if Question is really capable of such qualities. Her mind hisses that she is making a mistake to ask for help yet her heart… she feels surprise to think it still can feel… her heart tells her to trust him.

* * *

A/N 1: This segment shifts to Huntress since it set during **Double Date**, but there will be a Question centric take as well. Not that I couldn't have just done with him alone, but it felt important to let her take the 'wheel' so to speak. This is only the first of several for her this is after all a story about Question and Huntress.

A/N 2: The dialogue is mostly from the first several minutes of **Double Date** though some it is new. Helena's down time scene as well the scene leading towards her rendezvous with Question are the new parts plus they are meant to more or less happen around the same time as Black Canary and Green Arrow are placed as League security for Mandragora.

A/N 3: The flashbacks, while not exactly linear, pertain to memories that have resurfaced during her hunt for Mandragora.


	8. Unknowns

Question had been expecting her to ask him for help in tracking Mandragora after cutting through the red tape to discover what hole the government was hiding him in since the last couple of murders in the criminal underworld. Mandragora from a criminal standpoint had done 'well' since the Bertinelli murders yet whether he had known that she survived was definitely an unknown that bothered plus his discoveries about Mandragora's personal life. Another unknown involves said personal life, which could further complicate assisting Huntress in her pursuit of Mandragora.

He shifts his mind from that tangent to one about regarding his search for a connection between Cadmus and Luthor, which had been in mind even before Superman had brought up the possibility to the other Founders.

He did not overhear the meetings about Cadmus, but it felt predictable to surmise that Superman would immediately point the finger at Luthor. Batman in his second meeting with Waller found out that the government had sanctioned Cadmus' activities long ago, but this is unsurprising as elements throughout the military and political infrastructure had grown wary of in the past several years. Costume slip ups come with consequences that in some ways exceed the phrase 'let the punishment fit the crime.' The distrust only adds to the friction yet there are plenty to the stir the pot whether they know it or not.

Cadmus' facilities including their headquarters had been elusive to track down, but he would find it.

"Oh Cadmus, Cadmus, wherefore art thou Cadmus?"

He could hear footsteps, the first set sound like Huntress' high heeled boots, there is no mistaking the sound, but he mentally cringes that he should shift so quickly from Cadmus to her. His mind argues that she is a distraction yet his heart to his amazement quips that this search for Cadmus cannot be the only thing that infuses meaning to his life. The other foot falls belong to Stargirl and Starman as both wore boots though they are nowhere near as loud as high heeled boots. Plus Helena's are quite distinct from Diana's and then he feels a twitch in his face as if instantly aware of that he though of their names, not their costume aliases.

Helena… Huntress is pandering around the room until she sits on his desk and starts talking making a deal for him to help her in exchange for what she knows about Cadmus. He is certain she knows nothing yet at first to his own surprise agrees to help her despite the interpretation that she is clueless about Cadmus. It is clear that her last attempt to get to him had gone wrong and likely got her thrown out of the League.

First she makes reference to apophenia then she made a crack about his appearance yet through it all, she is putting on a show thinking she needs to use her body in tandem with an almost sultry voice to entice him to help her. He would have done it no matter how she put it to him and the likelihood that she is no longer League goes up when he notices her room empty of what little she kept there.

What is more is that her name is off the roster, her access codes are gone, and J'onn is probably the one that had given her the boot. The Martian did after all look a bit unsettled despite his tendency to reveal nothing about his emotions.

Question merely signals for a beam down and so it appears that nobody pays much mind as he had been a frequent traveler ever since the day he first had come topside to the Watchtower. He disappears from the teleport pad and reappears inside yet another of his hidden garages where he left the Pontiac last night after evading detection following the latest change of safe houses for Mandragora. As he kept tabs on Huntress, he also kept tabs on her quarry, yet why he told her nothing about it, he could not say for sure, maybe her making the first visual move is the cue he had been waiting on for months. This is about her, about her pursuit of Mandragora yet somewhere inside of everything else… he had Huntress or rather Helena on brain too much lately.

Now more than ever he felt like he had to do something about it because on the one hand his logical side or his brain kept bugging him about his interest in her while his emotional side or heart would mentally smack the logic for being so crude in language. However he made a point of not exactly following either in order to regain some shred of sanity before his emotions and tendencies got the 'better' of him. The only way to be sure someone from the League is also going to be there or not requires some amount of stealth yet again. It is then that he keeps a watch on Dinah Lance on her way to pick up Oliver Queen though they do make a secluded stop to change into costume apparently, which means he was right to suspect they were being sent as League security to assist Faraday.

He knows where they are going so there is no need to trail them any further plus Queen had seen his car so if he did try tail them further then he might prematurely alert Arrow to him watching them. It would complicate bringing Huntress into the mix if that did happen so he allows them to depart while he remains in the shadows with the car turned off. There is also a near certainty that Mandragora's bodyguards would be looking to relieve Faraday of his witness, their boss, which makes another unknown to tumble along with the known variables. He pulls out his wireless laptop, turns it on, accesses his encrypted email server, and sends the message to Huntress' laptop about directions to a rendezvous point that is close to Mandragora's safe house.

Next he dials her cell and expects she'll answer though possibly hesitate as his cell number is also untraceable. Question always made a point of using untraceable hardware because how else could he maintain such a level of secrecy to his actions?

Some questions are just rhetorical, spoken or unspoken, even that thought falls into that category.

[+++]

He knows it probably frustrates more than it intrigues her when he hangs up on her. She is at that rendezvous point ahead of him though knowing her she prefers to be ahead even he had chosen the location. He merely speeds in her general direction yet knows she could dodge a moving vehicle. The swerve is almost like showing off in front of her yet it had a practical point, which is to the point the vehicle towards the route he took to get inside instead of taking the longer way out of the underpass.

"I thought I'd cut out the middleman," admits Question.

_What am I saying? I never anything like that at least I thought I did not._

She looks to be sizing up the Pontiac then he slides over inviting her to take the wheel.

"Oh, babydoll…"

She's never looked at him that way before he inwardly thinks while barely sharing the glance.

"… and just for the record, I usually prefer my dates to have a face."

He chooses to ignore her prod of a tease about his face again. She shifts gears then floors the car out of the underpass and follows his directions on how to reach the safe house.

[+++]

As they start down the street where the safe house is, Question notices a patrol car pulling up to the curb so he tells her to pull over to an unlit part of the street in order to conceal their presence. However he wonders if Arrow or Canary had already seen his Pontiac. Arrows is more likely to recognize it than Canary and it feels like he is walking into a loaded situation with the four of them coming together at this location.

They exit the car, he locks it using a remote locking device, and then they follow the sidewalk for a bit before going into the yard just beyond the safe house. He gestures that they are going to hop the fence yet just before they leap the fence Question remembers that no cops were expected to arrive at this time of night. Things just took a bad turn yet they must continue with this as they already are in the thick of things here. As they land on the other side, Arrow and Canary are there on the ground waiting for them as Question had suspected they might be given that J'onn was likely to warn them about Huntress possibly coming after Mandragora and that she would not be alone.

_The Martian is cleverer than he looks, but how much can you hide from a telepath anyway?_

"You are not getting in that house Huntress that I can promise," remarks Canary.

_She knows something, but not the whole story, nobody knows the whole story, not even me._

"I'm here on League business Canary," says Huntress.

_They won't fall for it and they know Huntress is out of the League._

"That's not what J'onn said, we just called him."

_It looks like we have a fight on our hands then._

"Okay that didn't work…"

"Maybe this will…"

_Both women look surprised that I slugged Arrow because I never look the physical type, but all in the eye of the beholder once more._

Arrow stumbles backward recoiling from the punch. Huntress uses Canary's confusion to jump kick her and so she too loses her balance ever so slightly. Huntress keeps up the attacks though Canary expertly dodges them so improvisation becomes necessary now. She slams Canary's forehead into her knee, which appears to make Canary a bit dizzy. Question realizes he is not much of a match for Arrow, but it is all part of the illusion here. Arrow side steps every swing then knocks Question down with an elbow blow to the back yet Question is quicker on the footwork than Arrow.

"Why are you doing this Question?" snaps Arrow.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," retorts Question.

_We both know you would dismiss and report me in a heartbeat Queen._

Arrow falls onto his back after getting the trip over by Question. The attempt to pin Arrow predictably fails though he does make another mistake by pulling Question back to his feet in order to punch him. Question lands another blow only for Arrow expectedly to follow by flipping onto the ground again.

As for Huntress she is keeping at it with the kicks, which Canary so far seems unable to deflect though all Canary would need is one 'wrong' move to take down Huntress.

"I heard you were some kind of great fighter," remarks Huntress.

A string of swings and blocks then Huntress pulls a wrong move, a roundhouse kick, likely the very same that Canary had tried to pull on Arrow during their first sparring match back on the Watchtower. The surprise on Huntress' face is noticeable even to Question who is still on the ground debating whether or not to get up and try to swing at Arrow some more.

_You chose the wrong move, but this is not over Huntress, I assure you of that… Helena._

Canary utilizing all her upper body strength lifts then flings Huntress into a parked car. She crumples to the ground.

"You heard right," admonishes Canary.

Arrow not waiting to give Question anymore shots at trying to attack throws him against the car yet Question cannot shift direction to avoid colliding with Huntress as she tries to get to her feet.

_This is not how I thought I would end up closer to you, but it seems to be the way things are coming together._

Arrow stands over both of them with an arrow ready to be shot at them if they try anything else.

"I'd advise you to stay down. These impact arrows are non-lethal, but they hurt… a lot."

_She decides to play along for now and so must I until we find something to put us back on the trail._

"He is gone… Mandragora is gone," exclaims Canary.

[+++]

All three Federal agents including Faraday are injured to some degree so it might be up to someone else to track down Mandragora. Arrow, Canary, and Faraday are naturally quite mad about the escape and more so the distraction brought on by the presence of Huntress and Question.

"You have any idea what you have done?" snaps Canary.

"Yes I am after a murderer… a murderer that the League is protecting," hisses Huntress.

_These two under other circumstances might have gotten along better, but then we will not get far here without butting heads with someone even if it has to be Arrow and Canary._

"We don't have time for this…"

All three glance over at Question who appears to be examining several things in close proximity to the doorway. Arrow recognizes that Question is up to something, but he is obviously not sure of what exactly.

"Don't make me ask again," demands Arrow.

Question pulls the key out of his pocket.

"You mean this?" chirps Question.

Canary takes the key from him and they prepare to leave them behind.

"This is a storage key for a place down near the train station," comments Canary.

"You two stay here…, "commands Arrow.

He looks briefly to Huntress before finishing his statement.

"Don't make me sic Black Canary on you - you've only seen her nice side so far."

_Arrow… Queen… is clueless to just how dark people can get when they stop believing in being nice. Nevertheless the diversion appears to be working for the time being._

Huntress punches Question in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" grunts Question.

_You underestimate at your own risk and so do I._

"All that crazy mystery man mojo and you couldn't even pick up a clue without being seen?" chides Huntress.

_The subtlety appears lost on her, but she had given me the opening that would not have been possible had I done this… without her._

"The key wasn't the clue. The key was mine. Now, this list of container ship arrivals I palmed when they were yelling at you: that's the clue."

She eyes the schedule's cover and slightly smiles then opens the door to run the way back to car except Question on the way back to the car notices that Canary's motorcycle is still where she left it so either they made a teleport to the train station or they were still here. Whatever the case, they had to get out of here and to the waterfront. This time he would be driving the car of course. The Pontiac lights up and roars away then he notes a motorcycle getting ready to follow them.

_I dupe you, you almost trick me, and now I must ditch you two somehow._

[+++]

"You're even smarter than they say," concedes Huntress.

"Smart enough to realize you don't know jack about Cadmus," admits Question.

"...I needed your help," confesses Huntress.

"Talk to me about Mandragora. What did he do to you?" queries Question.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't understand what? That he worked for your father Franco Bertinelli or that your father himself was a powerful crime boss?"

The memories coming flooding back with the surprised look on her face.

In her mind, his narration fits every detail like a glove.

'_You were just a child. You certainly didn't understand what your father did for a living. You just knew that when he talked, people listened. That he always had his guys around him to do whatever he said, but the most frightening one was Mandragora. That looking into his eyes was like looking into an empty pit. Then one terrible night, Mandragora decided he no longer wished to take orders.'_

Huntress again sees that night through eyes of her younger self, the little girl who answered happily to the name Helena, but everything was about to change when the Bertinellis rush home that night.

"_Get behind me Helena, it will be alright."_

'_At the time you probably desired that his reassuring words would be made reality because people listened to him, but not that night, that night nobody listened to him except you. Your father hoped to protect you by hiding you in the closet. He placed you inside, you went along with his command, and then he left you in there.'_

"_He's coming…"_

"He tried to get between your mother and Mandragora once Mandragora began advancing on them. But you saw the whole thing. Steven Mandragora killed your parents while you watched helplessly… isn't that what happen?"

_In the memory, the little Helena silently cries and is later found by her father's still loyal associates._

In the present, a single tear begins to flow from her right eye though she is quick to rub it away.

"If you knew all that, then you probably know what I'm gonna do to Mandragora when I catch him. So why help me?"

"That... is the question."

_Perhaps I am seeking to help you avoid making a decision you'll regret or be there when no one else is._

"Somebody is following us," notes Question.

"Lose them!" orders Huntress.

"Like airline luggage."

Question remembers he is still wearing his earpiece comlink when he hears Black Canary's voice in his ear. Huntress almost automatically snaps out of her somber reminiscence at the sound of that voice too. Question realizes Canary will not allow them to reach Mandragora first so he would have to find a creative way to end the chase. He swerves the Pontiac towards the ramp on a parked car trailer and leaps across the distance between it and the rail tracks.

_Midtown Tunnel... well that means there will be a train along soon and the other track is still a few minutes ahead, it'll be close, but it can be done though I really hope they are not idiotic enough to follow me. Canary might be furious enough to venture it so it falls to Arrow to dissuade her, but it won't work out._

"Train!" pips Huntress

"I see it!" retorts Question.

She repeats herself and so does he then somehow he dodges the oncoming train by swerving the Pontiac into a tunnel that runs almost parallel to the one they were just in seconds ago. There would be no room for Canary to dodge the train regardless of how far behind she was with Arrow on her bike. He would not want to be him right about now and besides he had more important things to deal with by the time they got to the waterfront.

[+++]

Mandragora's limo shows up right on schedule or close to it given that he would want to change clothes before coming here to meet the freighter as Question thought most probable. His two bodyguards get an unwelcome surprise when one of Arrow's arrows binds them together and Canary mistakenly thinks she can get the drop on the larger man. His attention gets a diversion from Arrow firing a spread of electric discharge arrows at him then he goes to pile drive Arrow presumably except Question jumps on his back despite how futile a gesture it really is against Mandragora. The fat man merely hurdles him at Arrow and their combined weight hitting the crane tower's base causes its payload to shift position. A single I-Beam falls yet fortunately misses dropping on both Arrow and Question.

Canary vaults over Mandragora and makes probably the most ridiculous declaration that Huntress ever heard yet if there is anything she had learned from Question tonight is someone else tends to provide a good distraction. The idea about she could use that method occurred to her after what happen with the key and the schedule. She did not think she have to test it out in a situation as lethal as this one. Canary's subsonic 'cry' only shreds the upper part of Mandragora's expensive suit before she collapses from the exhaustion of using the ability against someone of his size.

"I have got special arrows too. The kind that can cut right through you…"

Huntress is not the little girl anymore yet he can still kill them all right now. She demands that he put Canary down, he obliges, and presumes to think she will be taking him back to federal custody. At first she had no intention of doing that, but then she hears a child voice's calling out.

Arrow and Question knock out the bodyguards that had come out of ship after the boy.

"Papa!"

"Edgar!" exclaims Mandragora.

He goes into detail about how rivals had kidnapped Edgar and only recently had his men been able to recover the boy. He also relates how they are going to disappear together and assume new identities in the hopes that nobody would come looking for them ever. She is intent on carrying out the sentence that he had escaped in her mind all these years and then he said the same words to Edgar that her father said to her just before her parents were killed by Mandragora. It made her tremble inside even more than her parents' killer having a son.

"Huntress… is this really what you want?" asks Question.

She catches a reflection of her younger self in the eyes of Edgar.

"No …"

Her finger closes down on the trigger, but instead of firing immediately, she instead aims upward at the support cables holding up the I-Beam payload. His body is tough enough to withstand it even if it is crashing down on him. Arrow and Canary cover Edgar from the backwash of the falling beams. As the dust settles she slowly walks towards the unconscious Mandragora.

"… That's not what I want at all."

[+++]

Mandragora is back in custody with no options, but to cooperate and as for Edgar, he is going into protective custody as well. Question with some measure of satisfaction felt that he done all he could to follow the variables and cope with the unknowns to get Huntress… to bring Helena to this moment instead of a moment where she might killed her parents' killer instead of sparing him. There is some unexplainable anxiety on his part even after all that had happen tonight, but it had more to do with what happens now between him and Huntress. She is bound to confront him to discern his motives for what he did tonight.

"You knew all along that kid was gonna be on that freighter", remarks Huntress.

"I do my homework", responds Question.

_It is true that I had known much more from the start Helena._

"Then why go to all that trouble to help? Why would you risk your life for me? "  
"Because I... like you," mumbles Question.

_You really are one of kind Q, but I am still going to find out your real name some day.  
_  
Question looks down as if expecting her not to really react at all. He is taken a bit by surprise when she pulls him by his tie and their lips meet or at least she hopes she made her connect with his. It is brief yet passionate kiss at least to Question except it appears she is not done with him... not yet anyway. She pulls him along by his tie and could care less in the moment to whatever Canary is saying about what just happen to Arrow.

"Where are we going?" asks Question.  
"Don't ask so many questions," answers Huntress.

[+++]

_It is time for us to have a real date Q and for me to show how thankful I am to you._

They climb back into the Pontiac and drive off into the night only to stop somewhere secluded yet awkwardly romantic. It is dark enough for Question to consider venturing removing his mask though before he does, he flicks on the window tint, which is a very uncommon feature in cars though he had a few connections to people experimenting with artificial tinting mechanisms.

"You sure you want to be here Helena?"

"Get over yourself Q, I am here, you are here, forget about what we do for the rest of tonight."

He removes the mask and so they kiss more in the darkness with the car upon the sands of some beach miles from any familiar cities. She removes her mask as well and so for once he gets to see the outline her face without having to be looking at it in photos or from watching her without her knowing about it. Question does not believe himself a stalker, perhaps a mere admirer from afar, but now he is getting a taste of kissing her. His mind conjures up a thought of something that a silver screen actress once said though he cannot recall it precisely as part of him is having too much fun kissing Helena.

"_A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."_

Ingrid Bergman was right about that, but his thinking side turns its full attention towards Helena. He caresses her dark hair and strokes her face.

She loosens his tie while perhaps wondering about when she might see his face instead of just the outline in the dark. She suspects she will just have to be patient with him because he had made been more than that for her especially in the last several hours.

The experience of being with him like this makes her feel so much more feminine though that is not necessarily a bad thing because she spent so much time training on how to fight, but nothing could ever have quite prepared her for someone like Question. She realizes now in some way why she felt so affected by being around him and why she put on lipstick before going to meet with him earlier tonight or last night depending on the time now. Whatever the case, she does not recall feeling this lovely in a long time and for that she would do more than just adore him.

* * *

A/N 1: This is more from Question's perspective during Double Date. He is very much aware of more than he lets on for most of the episode so I took it a little further in that he knows not only where Mandragora is and what he is planning to do, but who from the League is keeping watch on him.

A/N 2: Much of the dialogue except for some bits from early on and towards the end is from Double Date. There is plenty of internal thought on Question's part naturally. The episode really does live up to its title yet still deals with a serious subject in terms of how Question seeks to help Huntress.

A/N 3: I know Huntress/Helena isn't shown seeing his face until Flashpoint though here I simply have them kissing in the dark without their respective masks on. This particular idea for a scene occured to me from a number of films where kissing among other things was done in the dark.


	9. Drives

"_**Top story tonight, Presidential Candidate Lex Luthor makes a public apology of sorts for the battle and damages to his community, Lexor City, which was meant to provide for countless thousands who have been without permanent residence among other things for years."**_

The screen switches over to a replay of Superman and Luthor talking presumably about what probably set Superman off as well as what led to Marvel trying to derail whatever Superman is attempting by tunneling beneath Lexor City. At every turn either Marvel or Superman gets a hit in yet the longer the fight drags on, the more damage it does not and not just to the city.

"_**The battle set back the opening of Lexor City yet Luthor accepts the Man of Steel's apologies. He goes onto say that he will rebuild and repair Lexor City as part of his campaign promise to share the wealth readily with those most in need. As for Superman, he declined to comment further and as for Captain Marvel, he has not made his reappearance, but one can only guess what happen to him."**_

_Superman took the bait and Marvel's presence only made it worse._

"He didn't just do that did he?" groans Huntress.

_They did this with Luthor's help, but I'll need to break into one their fronts to prove it beyond all doubt._

"Yes, he did and I suspect Luthor was gunning for that for months," responds Question.

[+++]

It is an unspoken perception that Luthor even while running for office is trying and succeeding to get under the Man of Steel's skin. The two of them never saw eye to eye in the first place and during all the time that Luthor was in charge of Lexcorp. Nothing from that position had gotten him any closer to breaking or killing Superman. However with all that happen with Darkseid, he saw that messing and maybe even breaking Superman's mind is much more 'fun' than simply wasting billions in a vain effort to find a way to kill him, to clone him, to pay someone else to eliminate him, and the list goes on. Each and every time he got that much closer to running his company into the ground if not for Mercy Graves, she had pulled it back from bankruptcy while he was either in prison or on the run from the League.

She appears to have caved into him again and he unofficially is back to running the company. She retains her new position in name only as Question found out through circuitous search of Lexcorp's computer networks. He had broken into them before so it made no difference to do it again, both before and after what happen in Lexor City. Lexcorp's R&D Division for the past several months had been getting plenty of new technology through several dummy shipping corporations that were similarly handling shipments for fake cybernetic, nanotechnology, and software companies. Luthor is clearly up to something from a technological standpoint especially as the shipments had been increasing since the Dark Heart incident

Cadmus is either getting lazy or they are sanctioning whatever Luthor is doing that technology yet in either scenario Luthor is the unknown while the variables remain both the League and Cadmus.

She never admit it, but she had a soft spot for powerful men especially Lex and it is the very reason why she remains awkwardly loyal to him despite him never really treating her like a woman or an equal, but then Question would aim to never do such a thing to Huntress. He could still remember the way they had touched the outlines of each other's faces in the dark during that first night together.

The memories made him grin rather ridiculously beneath the mask. Huntress in the midst of finishing her food looks up at him with one of those familiar smiles he had seen on her face since that night.

"What are you grinning about?" chuckles Huntress.

"Just thinking," responds Question.

"You were doing more than thinking, you can't fool a girl for long Q," teases Huntress.

"You are getting good at that… I doubt that Batman would have been that quick."

"Well Batman isn't me and I think he would be just as admiring of Diana as you are of me right now."

"You are right, but we both know they have been having that dance for years now too."

"So League chat aside, anything new on Cadmus?"

"There is a front I am investigating… perhaps you would like to tag along?"

"Sounds like fun… I'd expect security would be crowding you if you went alone too."

"Then I'll to rely on you to keep them at bay… that is if you don't mind."

"You'll owe me… but I'll do it."

She wraps her arms around him and kisses him in one of those tender yet affectionate ways that baffles the regulars in much the same way that her kissing him elicited from Canary, but like before, she just ignores the crowd, if she is happy with him that is all that matters to her.

[+++]

"Care to tell me why we are breaking into an Air Force Base of all places?" whispers Huntress.

"Nathaniel Adams is who and as for what… you'll see it soon" whispers Question.

"You mean Mr. I-Am-Walking Radiation Regulator is in the Air Force?"

"How did you make the connection?"

"For starters I don't think they call him _Captain_ for nothing and there were other tell tale signs."

"Even former or decommissioned military retain ingrained behavior patterns."

"So the why has something to do with his commission presumably?"

_She learns fast, but then I'd expect nothing less after having her at my side this long._

"How did you bypass security to get us in here?"

"Every system is not without loop holes, without breaks, without gaps, and here I found out everything from as low as the janitorial staff to as high as a certain general who frequents this base when not on call by Cadmus… Wade Eiling and the Captain have history… not a truly amicable one either."

"So Eiling looks to recruit him back or else… after all the other messes from that Supergirl knockoff to what happen in Lexor City… they are getting desperate aren't they?"

"Perhaps, but even desperation is not without deadliness. Eiling shares the late General Hardcastle's prejudices in regards to our line of work or rather the more powerful ones we have worked in the past or my case… still do from time to time."

"Many of us could just walk away so then they would no longer have the perceived threat of an 'army' in the skies above them."

"It is not that simple…"

"It could be…"

"If it were… I wouldn't be doing this nor did what I did when you had come to me for help."

She caresses his cheek and kisses him roughly on the lips. He could be romantic in his own way even if he did not share her notions about romance.

[+++]

In a few moments, the camera sweeps passes where they just were and by now they are that much closer to the base's archives. He leaves the lights off and she figures it is better that way unless the archives had cameras in them too, say the pesky infrared variety yet somehow they are ordinary cameras that rely heavily on the lighting in the room instead of heat. One would think at a time like this, they would be jumpy about someone sneaking in here, which in some way made her wonder why he would be breaking in here instead of hacking to look this stuff up. His explanation would probably be something along the lines that the files would be doctored or falsified, which would make anything found unverifiable without source comparison so instead he would insist on going to the source.

_He can be so predictable yet still surprise me… what's not to… love?_

Huntress quiets the gulp at thinking the word love and sure enough Question found what he had come for, which is proof that Captain Nathaniel Adams is back on active duty as a special request made unsurprisingly by General Eiling. Atom being such a loyal soldier type is unlikely to resist the recall to duty for long if at all, but now they must sneak out the same way they snuck in, which works amazingly yet Question points out he knows the sewers better than most people. The Air Force Base was built over the old sewage system, which while no longer actively used, it is still connected to the newer pipelines plus it appears nobody had thought to install cameras down here at least not yet. This is entrance would presumably not work ever again because there is a notice to seal it off somewhere in the memo files, which was why he had chosen to exploit today of all days because tomorrow it would be gone.

There is still the matter of the Cadmus archives, but that would have to wait a few days especially if either of them really prefers skulking around without smelling worst than a skunk spray. He drives her home, she's ever so affectionate with kisses, but not overly so, most have to mean something though some could just be for the sake of indulging how it feels or tastes plus she is experimenting with gloss. Even when he would go into her place with her, they still did these things with the lights low or off, and for the time being, she does not mind though she'll eventually insist being able to see him fully. He would deal with that as it arises though until then they would do as they had done for weeks.

[+++]

The next few days pass without incident, which is not uncommon though even he had to take the time to rest or shower even when at first he found it strange to be overly concerned with hygiene to such a degree that he showers almost regularly. Aside from knowing that Eiling or one of his subordinates would approach Captain Atom did not mean Question would wait around for it to happen, but getting to presumably terabytes of Cadmus data would take time. It is once again the part to disguise his face, his hair and more so to leave no trace anywhere of the man that dons the guise of Question, but the man in the guise of Question is also falling in love with the woman in the guise of Huntress. He could only ponder ever so slightly if she is feeling similarly towards him.

He adjusts the car mirror once in en route to pick up Huntress in keeping with their own patterns of meeting so that there is nothing too predictable, no perceivable pattern to plot for Cadmus loves patterns or schedules, makes it simpler for them. He spots her and she looks ready for a night on the town to say the least. It made him smile behind the mask and she had given him some semblance of balance with this pursuit of Cadmus, but even that sounds like an oversimplification. More often than not he felt like he is disappearing to become Question and she had become his anchor to reality, to himself, a way to avoid or escape losing himself to this persona. It is not much of a drive though he found no irony in the address or the company name.

Nobody puts up a front called Tombstone Tools at the corner of Valley Avenue and Kings Street for nothing.

Simultaneously he is aware that Superman is teamed with Captain Atom today, but that only means any time that Atom is not on the Watchtower is an opening for Cadmus to wrangle him.

[+++]

It is humorous to watch local security try to bag Huntress and she beats them off with a grace that befits someone of her level of physical training. The guards rely too much on brute strength or their gadgetry, which she disarms from them by only doing as much as twisting then slamming their grip hand against some part of their upper body. Their groans of pain are the repetitive reminder that she is enjoying herself and keeping them off his back while he seeks out the nearest computer terminal. There is no password encryption on the terminal, but the data is hidden deep in the mainframe. These things always take time, but at least there is less chance of them leaving him with another dead end.

_There it is, rigging download, but of course they encrypt each batch of files separately._

"You really know how to show a girl a good time, Q! When are we going out on a real date?"

_Access is easy, cracking is hard, but it must be done, she can handle them. _

"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate."

_I'll make it up to you somehow, but right now need to focus on this._

"I'm not even in the Justice League anymore. You're lucky to have me along."

_True enough Helena, but there's more to it than, there's always more and you know it._

"Hardly, you're drawn to my eccentric charm."

_I'm either getting bolder or part of me wants to say things like that to her._

Huntress spent last several minutes body tossing ordinary looking security guards and based on their fighting ability, she is probably right to mutter pathetic rent-a-cops. The room is full of plenty of broken cubicle walls, smashed tables, broken chairs, and even a banged up copy machine, well that one guard did get flung into rather roughly. This is an enclosed room even with cubicles this size, one wonders how people can put up with cubicles, but then some can learn to ignore physical dimensions and focus on the tasks in front of them like Question.

"I'm done," chirps Question.

He spots the one downed by the impact of her boots hitting him square in the chest getting up.

"So am I," boasts Huntress.

"Not quite," retorts Question.

He follows that up those words by quickly severing the flat screen monitor from the table then chucks it in a direction parallel to the side of her shoulder and her eyes follow as it passes within inches of her then smacks into the chest of a guard she swore was out cold. Her surprise is short lived then she looks back to him sensing somewhere inside him is someone could fight yet only when necessary or allowances of subtlety perhaps.

"You get what you came for? "  
**"**I believe so. If there's a link between Luthor and Cadmus, I'll find it here."

_What is she planning? I know the look, I have seen it before_.

"Which leaves the rest of our evening tantalizingly free."  
**"**There are three terabytes of data here. I'll be busy for days..."

_An overture, must think of something, did not anticipate that, but she did ask when we would go on a real date._

**"**Uh... dinner and a movie?" suggests Question.  
**"**It's a start," answers Huntress coyly.

_As for what movie and where to eat, those are the questions for now and there is also no way I can stay on good terms with her if I simply take it from her and why would this bother me. It is unethical and emotionally stupid, wait a second, what am I thinking? She likes making me squirm, that or she genuinely wants to do something couples do instead of me working myself to exhaustion… and death?_

[+++]

"I prefer for us to go out to dinner…."

"That's doable."

"…Without the costumes."

Question inwardly balks at the idea.

"Come on Q… I have waited this long."

He knows she is right, but even so he hesitates, which is probably irritating her. They roughly undress each other from their costumes. He had seen her without the mask, without the cape, but this is new to her without the skin tight upper body suit or her high heeled boots. As for her, it is a new experience to see him out of his self-same suits and feel his skin against her own as she drags him into the shower. The water feels cold at first yet both adjust to the shift from chill to warm yet the longer they stay beneath the shower head, the more likely the water will get cold again yet neither seem to care that much about the temperature after awhile. This is decidedly an uneasy and unfamiliar experience for him unless his slight awkwardness means nothing to him or to her.

As he kisses her, her nails softly travel down his back, and somewhere in all this steam she starts sounding like she is really enjoying herself between the audible gasps and low moans. She nearly starts to scratch him as a way to entice him to go further even though she is aware perhaps of him feeling unsure if he should be doing this or how he should be doing this. He is ever so gentle about it only as he has little experience with this and everything else he had ever seen about it feels like an inadequate teacher for approaches. He pins her against the far wall then shifts to kissing her neck softly though when she can, she returns the 'favor' more roughly.

She thinks about almost letting him off the hook for a public place dinner in exchange for him staying the night here for a change. She had plenty of DVDs for starters, being a Bertinelli still had its advantages with some amount of inheritance.

For now she would just enjoy being the source of his affections. He could be coarse and unrefined yet she have it no other way now because it is part of what he is, part of who she believes she is falling in love with again tonight. She saunters out ahead of him hoping that he can't take his eyes off her; she enjoys it more when he stares at her now, and after a bit she pulls on a light bathrobe before slipping out to change into her new short lavender and plum shaded dress. He on the other hand puts only about half his clothes back on since he is leaving his buttoned down shirt among other things off. He comes up behind her as she is cooking, which is something he had not know about her though he did wonder if she did some times.

"Smells good…"

"Dinner will be ready soon…"

"I wasn't referring to the food…"

She smiles and pecks him lightly on the cheek then winks before hitting his hip when he was looking to see what she kept in her fridge in terms of beverages. It is a fairly quiet meal though probably one of the better ones he had in years, not he could not cook himself, he usually only got with whatever kept him full and running instead of 'bothering' with meals of this preparation caliber. Both are slow to eat as she is being rather flirty under the table and here far from prying eyes he dares to grab her foot or leg when she does it. She drags him again to the couch though he resists less than with the shower and what is more is both shower as well as dinner had worn him down.

It did not matter that he is tired. It only matters that he is here with her. She pins him to the couch with her arms tightly wrapped around him as if worrying that he disappear, he had a habit of doing that on occasion, and he took less pride in the ability the more often he is with her. It surprises him just a bit that she chooses to watch Maltese Falcon though he picks up on possibly why by the time it gets to the scene where Sam Spade meets Ruth Wonderly.

"_**I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know,"**_ _admits Ruth._  
_**"You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd never get anywhere,"**_ _commends Sam._

The plot involves how Spade's partner was killed while helping Brigid apparently and so she tries to persuade Sam to finish the case despite the personal risks involved by him helping her. He gets himself in deep by helping her except he's got no options other than to see it through.

"_**When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere," **__narrates Sam to himself._

Spade gets both the police as well as whoever is after the Falcon. Spade's partner Archer was murdered as well as the alleged suspect that he was tailing, which something else is going on clearly. Detective Polhaus and Lt. Dundy grill Spade yet it is clear they are impeding any routes to resolving the case. Spade encounters Ruth again except she is calling herself Brigid O'Shaughnessy now. Spade agrees to investigate the murders except then he gets Joel Cairo on his case about what is probably the Maltese Falcon. He discovers in hindsight that Brigid and Joel are acquainted plus what is more Kasper "The Fat Man" Gutman is the one who is after the Falcon.

The situation gets worse before the end as Gutman baits Spade using Brigid in order to get the alleged Falcon back from Spade after the late Captain Jacobi weathered fire as well as dying to get the statuette to Spade. It turns it out it is a fake plus Gutman and Cairo get away while the third man, Wilmer is left to take the fall though Brigid is also getting time because she killed Archer as Wilmer only killed Thursby and Jacobi.

"_**I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. The chances are you'll get off with life. That means if you're a good girl, you'll be out in 20 years. I'll be waiting for you. If they hang you, I'll always remember you,"**__ says Sam to Brigid._

After the movie end, Question wonders if she chose this movie on purpose or she just enjoys film noir. He dismisses the thought train, it is just the two of them taking in a movie, but of course by reflex he analyzes it in relation to their own burgeoning romance.

"You hardly spoke at all during the movie, I know there's some sort of rule that you are suppose to keep quiet in a theater, but its just us Q…" murmurs.

"Sometimes I get to engrossed to do anything except let the sights preoccupy my attention and perhaps it is time I told you my name… my real name."

She looks at him rather peculiar yet moves closer to him.

"My name is…Vic Sage," whispers Question.

"Vic as in Victor?" whispers Helena.

"Yes that too…"

She smiles widely before kissing him on the lips, he wonders for a second if he made her life more dangerous with that revelation, but even Sam Spade had to take risks with a woman who had a shady past. His like is not exactly squeaky clean either, but the past is just part of the character, the rest is the ever present now in her embrace. He is too tired to go home now plus she did look like she wants him to stay night so for both practical and personal concerns, he will be staying here with her. Cadmus could wait a few hours more even though he suspects the countdown is already ticking off for some time now already.

* * *

A/N 1: This one begins between **Clash** and **Question Authority** then continues into the first few minutes of **Question Authority**. The part that happens in Helena's place is made up.

A/N 2: Things get a little more physical between them though Question is still hesitant to reveal his face to her, but knowing her... she can be persuasive in her own way. It is never really established on-screen, but I think that she knows his name, she just frequently refers to him as Q or babydoll. So I am supposing he tells her name somewhere along the way.

A/N 3: If you ever played Splinter Cell, you know that Sam Fisher frequently breaks into government installations or supposedly impossible to break into places, that's kind of why I had them breaking into an AFB. There's no way it would be officially told that Captain Atom or rather Captain Nathaniel Adams had his commission reactivated.

A/N 4: Why _The Maltese Falcon_? The hints are in dialogue lifted from the movie itself and I'm a Bogart fan as well as film noir. Otherwise enjoy... really had fun with the last part of this one.


	10. Revelations

The screen flashes and reads 'Encryption Cracked'.

_So much for Cadmus' vaunted encryption algorithms._

"Finally the connection between Cadmus and Luthor…."

The screen lights up with a list folders, which pertain to a plethora of Cadmus projects. Question's attention latches onto one directory in particular.

"Or something even better President Luthor…"

He drags the mouse button down to a sub-folder labeled 'Oval Office' though it is like opening Pandora's Box. It laid bare is many things Batman and Superman had not told him about the incident that precipitated Luthor's pardon for starters and as for the rest it would set off an unregulated tangent in his brain. He can feel his body slipping away as all the other files, both written and visual flood his thoughts as he flips through each of them. Every click a fall, every glance a snap, and this continues for hours. His fedora is the first thing to come loose as he starts pacing around the room though not enough to drive holes in the floor. He periodically yells at noises among other things. The tangent reaches its end though another begins just as easily with the stack of ideas his mind had put together from all that he read in the last several hours.

"It is all connected… not alternate reality… time loop… Luthor becomes President… Flash is killed… Superman kills Luthor in retaliation… superhero arms race… Armageddon… End of the World… It is inevitable," mumbles Question.

His fist slams into the peg board, it shakes, and now he must consider the pathways ahead.

"Is the future immutable? Can destiny be changed? Will _they_ allow it?" continues Question.

Someone is at the door.

It is Huntress.

"Screening your calls? You haven't answered the phone for days," exclaims Huntress.

She recoils at the smell then pulls open the window. She had never seen him like this before. His hair a mess, his tie still on yet not in place, his trench coat on yet slacking, and then of course she ventures asking if the smell is him. She nears him asking him if he is alright yet he is of one track mind then dashes off whilst snatching his fedora as he runs out the door. His lack of attention to his surroundings only leads to the door getting something of a slam then Huntress sensing that perhaps it has something to do with what he found in the decrypted archives goes over to his laptop.

She scans the screen until she finds the last visual/video file he accessed and initiates a replay.

It shows her the White House's Oval Office, as it could appear when Luthor is elected and inaugurated as President of the United States. Superman is in the office with him, but as to what led to this showdown is unclear at least to her for the moment.

"_**There are at least six different ways I can stop you right now,"**__ comments Superman_

"_**But they all involve deadly force, don't they? And you don't do that,"**__ snorts Luthor._

_Superman said nothing yet Luthor is about to goad him on… that must be it._

"_**No. You **__**need**__** me. You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain, and you **__**do**__** love being a hero, don't you? The cheering children, the swooning women - you love it so much it's made you my most reliable accomplice!"**__ continues Luthor._

"_**Accomplice?! What are you--," **__retorts Superman._

"_**You could have crushed me any time you wanted. And it wasn't the law or the will of the people that stopped you - it was your ego. Being a hero was too important to you. You're as much responsible for this as I am! So go ahead, fix it somehow. Put me on trial, lock me up - but I'll beat it. And then we'll start the whole thing all over again,"**__ cracks Luthor._

"_**... I did love being a hero. But if this is where it leads...I'm done with it,"**__ concludes Superman._

_Superman's eyes glowing, never a good sign…._

The screen turns red, President Luthor is vaporized on the spot, but some part of her thought this cannot be right, Superman wouldn't do anything that stupid yet then she remembers the replays from Lexor City with his fight against Marvel. She also recalls Question telling her about Galatea, the Ultimen, Task Force X's breach of the Watchtower, San Banquero, but there is probably more as she knows little or nothing about the situation even now. All these files he found, they all drove him to some fatalistic conclusion, and it bothers her more than she can verbalize.

[+++]

Batman agrees to meet Question, much to an exceedingly erratic Question's confusion, but then his behavior as of the past day could be taken as him 'cracking up'. However it must be that Batman still had to hear what he found out and what should be done because of it. He already suspects Batman will not agree, but the findings must be made know in the event that his already decided plan to cut the pathways through Luthor end in failure, end with Question's death instead of Luthor's. His failure to kill Luthor would either insert him into Flash's place in the inevitable future or Flash would simply join him the ranks of death when Luthor wins the presidency and kills Flash just as he had done before. He carries a copy of the files from his laptop to show to Batman and as it all plays out again on the Batcomputer. The Dark Knight Detective betrays no signs of emotion though why should Wayne show any sign of it?

Not only because he knows about it, but because the other him had seen it or been there yet not fast enough to prevent it perhaps.

"Cadmus likely knows you have their archives and in doing so you may have accelerated their plans, but we can't do anything about that. I can still go to Waller, try to convince her that Luthor must be contained because so far many of their moves seemed to be influenced by him and maybe even directly by him. Things are moving quicker than even I thought they would move if it had come to this."

_Ever the analyst Batman, but they abide by a time table whether I know these things or not._

"How much else has been concealed from me _Bruce_?"

"The Justice Lords… where to begin with them?" murmurs Bruce.

Batman rubs his forehead before resuming his evaluation of them.

"We were lured to their reality by a lie about collapsing realities and that their reality held some sort of significance to solve the 'problem.' J'onn's counterpart is the first we met, he was sent in an ambassadorial capacity. The seven of us crossed over into a rigged trap. Hawkgirl… _Shayera_ tried to break free, but she was struck down presumably by Lantern's counterpart though Flash would be better able to account for that since he was still conscious. As for the rest of us, the discharge incapacitated all of us, but like I said Flash resisted the longest after Shayera's knockout."

_An admission at least you can admit the deception…_

"What happen after that?"

"Presumably we were transferred to the specialized holding cells such as red solar energy generators and lamps for Superman. The Lasso could be used to bind Wonder Woman, something that was ironically repeated by the Thanagarians after they caught her, but they also had to use a powerful stun gun on her. As for Lantern, one either separates the ring from him or denies him access to the Lantern Battery. In the case of Flash, it is anti-gravity or lack of energy necessary to metabolize his abilities. In regards to J'onn, one needs only heat as well any substance that makes it impossible for him to phase or shift as well as use any of his powers for that matter…."

_All in the eye of the beholder for what is what one wants to see for there is lack of imagination to accept the reality that at the core is the potential to become that which we deny we cannot be…_

"What about you?"

"Who do you think the warden was?"

_He'd be the only one reluctantly left 'home' to be the watchmen of a warden._

"Justice Lord Batman… explains why he wasn't there with the others that night…"

"You also already know that their Flash died in or around the same time Luthor took office in their reality."

"Not alternate realities Batman… time loop… you were shown a future in a very loose sense of the word."

"They all appeared the same age as us when we first encountered them… the personal histories of ourselves and _them_ were almost impossible to distinguish beyond initial subtle variations yet the divergence between the realities began when their Luthor took office and their Flash died."

_Those events must not happen….here…ugh… again._

"I haven't forgotten the argument I had with him in his Batcave. I had seen at last why he might have gone along with that situation. He kept rationalizing, but it appears from what little I did see of that Wayne Manor as well as that Batcave was indicative that everyone that mattered to him was gone. I had two reasons for not going to the other Arkham, first I had to find the crossover device and second I had no interest in seeing what befell his Rogues considering what happen to that Luthor."

_It made you uncomfortable that someone so very much like you would allow and go along with things like that plus others confirmed your fears as to what happened to that Arkham's denizens and no doubt that the people of Earth would doubt… would resist... one either doubts or trusts… holds onto one or the other… never both._

"After he and I fought as well as argued… I conceded defeat in consideration of this statement about our shared past in relation to the present… then we set off to find the rest of the League including the recovering Shayera… he got them away from the SWAT's who were about to storm Arkham possibly. We all went back to the cave and a short time after that went back to our reality... this one."

_After that you went to the prison to prepare to ambush the five Lords here._

"It was a simple trick lure to them, to make it appear as if Luthor broke out again. Lorder Superman wouldn't resist the opportunity to finish him off in the same manner that he did his own Luthor. They found a split to second too early and too late that they were tricked albeit in a manner similar to the trap they laid for us. We had to box them in though Lorder Hawkgirl definitely had seen through the trap before the others did as she caught the discharge in her mace then utilize it to break through the cell door."

Question even his erratic state of mind listens intently.

"Lantern unlike Lorder Green Lantern hesitates to blast her yet he does then she drops yet is caught by J'onn. He is shortly thereafter caught in a ring construct duel with his Lorder self. J'onn faces off against his counterpart though they shape shift into unrecognizable creatures as they battle their way through the ceiling. Wonder Woman faces off against her Lorder self as well though I am much closer to that fight than the others. As for Flash, he is up against Lorder Superman…"

_Evenly matched though how could Flash hope to last against Lorder Superman?_

"Flash had speed on his side and somehow did manage to spin toss Lorder Superman out of the cell block. Flash takes off after him. As for me, I was trying to prevent Lorder Wonder Woman from killing Wonder Woman, but when she turned on me… I knew she would kill me…"

_That things had more than soured between Lorders Wonder Woman and Batman, that perhaps that Diana and Bruce had more than just a falling out…_

"If you are thinking that things went to hell between that Diana and Bruce… you'd probably be dead to rights. The fact that all the costumes were in their transparent glass racks did not feel right nor did the fact that a majority of the rooms upstairs had drop cloths over almost all the furniture. It did not appear as if Alfred was at that Wayne Manor either. His participation in the Lords' 'stewardship' cost him severely and it probably did include any relationship he might have had with his Diana."

_Undoubtedly you wonder if things could ever sour that badly between you and her too. It bothers you when you say Wonder Woman, to you she is always Diana, nothing more, nothing less, you use her alias in public and around those who are not the Founders with the exception of those who know her name like me, like Helena, like Dick, like Tim, or especially Alfred. I admire him for his loyalty and devotion to you, to the Wayne family name, but one wonders what it would take for everyone to cut ties with you like they did with Lorder Batman. Luthor's assassination might have derailed the war in favor of the Justice Lords, but something more had to have happened to make the Bat Family break apart._

"His involvement probably ruined things between him and the counterparts of my partners… my 'family' including Alfred. They might have tolerated what happen with Luthor, but what happen with Arkham, that would have been crossing the line… a line you couldn't pull back from… sure he probably had the Kryptonite slivers and maybe more… but how long could that have kept Superman from lobotomizing any number of villains in that reality… he went along because Superman had both Wonder and J'onn on his side. Stewart and Shayera also probably fell in line yet Shayera would have been more reluctant… likely due to what happen to Flash… they are like brother and sister in this reality… probably the same there too… back to Stewart… to Lantern… all the warheads in the world would have been enough to make him follow... to push him into believing it would make the world safer… peace and security…"

Batman looks more than uncomfortable talking at length about the probable psychologies of each Justice Lord though, more so Lorder Batman of course. Batman had the argument with himself both figuratively and literally. Lorder Batman is also only half the reason they were able to get back.

"You were on even footing by training… it was never abilities between you two… you knew you couldn't get back by fighting him…"

"He undoubtedly found a way to circumvent the locks on the restraints in what had been Flash's cell… I knew I couldn't break us out… we thought alike except for the part where he apparently could justify his part in the Justice Lords' 'stewardship'. I suspected from his almost fixation with caution regarding our captivity that it had something to do with a teammate dying…"

The memories are putting Batman into a great deal of unease, but Question wants the whole story.

"That's where you concluded it must have been Flash…"

"His brief conversation with Flash is what validated it… Flash gave him a mouthful about the harm done to Hawkgirl… he spoke with such hidden concern and worry in his voice that I knew it must be Flash… he said the last thing he want was to lose another… then he stopped and went back to his rounds."

_The topic obviously made him uncomfortable and probably part of why he took up being the warden to make sure nothing happen to lead to another team death. One had done enough damage in that reality._

"Flash probably began probing you for ideas on how you would lead the jailbreak except you told there was no way you could do it… so he orchestrated the breakout by tricking Lorder Batman."

"Faked a heart attack… Lorder Batman raced to the Flash's cell immediately. I heard several thuds that sounded like sped up punches then Flash came to my cell and starts trying random numbers on the keypad… I told him what I suspected was the code for mine… it was right."

Batman sighs then turns back to the Batcomputer and Question now knows to some extent what was kept from him about the crossovers aside from the projections that Cadmus had made about a repeat incident in this time line, this reality.

"Now you know everything… well almost… but only about as much as I do. I didn't tell you because I could hardly stomach talking about it with the others and Flash infrequently jokes that keeping him alive is the only way to avoid what happen to the Justice Lords…"

"He might be right you know…"

"So what are you planning on doing with this knowledge?"

"I needed to know what you know…."

"Get to the point _Vic_… if Cadmus is planning something I must know."

"Galatea is still alive… they are making an Ultimen army… and Luthor is their financier… he's also been acquiring increasingly larger shipments of nanotechnology, advanced cybernetics, and other android related tech."

"Waller aware of anything about Luthor's nanotechnology acquisitions?"

"Doubtful… even if she does… she apparently hasn't made the connection yet… and Captain Atom's been reactivated by Eiling."

Batman's glare contorts into a scowl.

"They are preparing for something… but what are you planning… I know you are up to something."

"You wanted my findings… but you are afraid of what they are compelling me to do."

Batman stands face to face with Question.

"What happen to us?"

"We turned on each other and you concealed things after recruiting me."

Question grabs both of Batman's wrists after sensing that Batman had turned to the Batcomputer for more than just to get Question's eyes off his own.

"You are not thinking straight _Vic_… let go of my wrists now," growls Batman.

"Drop the syringe or you won't be throwing batarangs for a few days," retorts Question.

They shift around until Question head butts Batman knocking him back into his chair. Both dive for the syringe except Question gets to it first then jabs Batman with it. The Dark Knight groans for several seconds before passing out, and Question takes a quick sniff of the air. It smells like an ordinary sedative, but a rather powerful dose of it.

"Hopefully the nightmares never come true Batman, but I can't have you interfering right now, this must be done to avoid history repeating itself," mutters Question.

He goes back up the stairwell through the grandfather clock covered doorway.

"Now to face the Man of Steel…"

He buries the thought for a moment in order to make the comlink call for a beam up.

[+++]

The teleporters due to maintenance force the technicians to teleport Question to an auxiliary platform within the Watchtower. The auxiliaries and backups are only used for emergencies when repairs are being done to the main pad, which is near the area that Superman is in now. He is there with Aztek and Steel as they are reconnecting power relays and shunts. Question places himself face to face with a man who looks disturbingly identical to the man he had seen kill President Luthor in that simulation of what he believes now, not to be another reality, but a certifiably immutable future unless kept from happening somehow.

The Man of Steel almost scowls at him. Superman, who often appears to try to befriend everyone or almost everyone, has instead lately been looking upon everyone suspiciously.

_After what happen in Lexor City who could he afford to trust outside the Founders?_

It would not take much more even though Question underestimates how much psychological resilience is left in Superman because Luthor knows the buttons to push to snap him though the only question there is how long would it take before Superman gives in?

_The tangents are occurring on their own now, no prompts at all, must focus on conversations only_ he insists inwardly.

"Something I can help you with?" asks Superman innocuously.

"I hope so. But I assume you don't want to discuss your White House weenie roast in front of a crowd..." murmurs Question.

Superman sets down the massive bulk he had been holding up before politely excusing himself.

"I'll be back in a minute. "

* * *

The pair rides down in a turbolift to the vaunted Founders Conference Room.

**"**Always wondered what was in here. Private conference room. Original members only, yes? A place where you're free to discuss your secrets and lies, "comments Question.  
**"**You said something about me in the White House," interjects Superman.

_He pretends for the sake of indulging the notion that I am crazy._

**"**Not you, exactly. Another version of you, hmm?" quips Question.  
**"**Quit dancing around it. How much do you know? "

_He is upset that I know, but I am not the only who knows Superman._

"I know what you told everyone. The Justice Lords: a parallel universe version of the Justice League who came to Earth to rid it of crime just as they had on their own world. With Lex Luthor's help, our Justice League managed to rout them. I also know what you didn't tell anyone! On that other Earth, so very much like our own, a Superman, so very much like you, killed the president. "

The chair under Superman's arm bends, perhaps by accident, perhaps not, but Question barely notices anyway. There is anxiety in his demeanor, worry about how far this knowledge will travel perhaps.

**"**Question, no one can know about this."  
**"**Or what? You'd incinerate me, too?"  
**"**I'd never do anything like that. "

_Denial perhaps the most predictable response when one refuses to believe the worst is possible._

**"**Wouldn't you? Didn't you recently try to lobotomize Doomsday with your heat vision, just as the Justice Lord did?"

"That's different! "  
**"**It's the same! A heavily armed Watchtower with an army of proactive heroes, Luthor running for president - if it's not *quite* the same, it soon will be. Have you seen Amanda Waller's computer simulations?"  
**"**Batman told me about them. "

_Wayne told you on a need to know basis and I know now that I was left out, not surprising, he told me enough for me to do my work, but kept enough to force me to find out on my own about the Justice Lords. It also took making a deal with Luthor for use of the Achilles' disruptor to de-power the Lords._

**"**Did he tell you that all the models predicted that a war between the Justice League and the government would devastate the planet? ", quips Question.  
**"**We would never fight the government! ", retorts Superman.  
**"**Not even if Luthor _was_ the government? ", snaps Question.

_Superman stays silent, hit a nerve definitely, so Batman concealed much from me and Superman denies what he would do if Luthor ever took office, this is almost predictable, but cannot let it play out._

**"**Predestined... Flash will die... You will kill Luthor... Superhuman arms race... Armageddon... Inevitable..., "mutters Question.  
**"**Question, I'm... "

Superman appears to be trying to assuage Question's fears, but Question sees otherwise though to save Superman's reputation as well as the League someone else will have to take Superman's place in the assassination of Luthor. He would have to take Superman's place in that role for the sake of Earth, for the safety of the League, and prevent Superman from bringing the world to Armageddon.

"I'm worried about you. You're mixed up. This world isn't like the other one. We're not the Justice Lords. Those things you're afraid of won't happen here. I won't let them."

Question shrugs off Superman and leaves the room. It is time to confront the future and find out if it can be changed or otherwise do the one thing he never expected to do, that being to die in order to save everything and everyone from a war that would them more than their lives. The one face that comes to mind as far as the deaths is Helena; her death would be like a precursor to his own if he simply let things play out as they would without him interfering with the paradox. It would not be an easy to get to Luthor, let alone get him while he is alone, but it could be done, it must be done.

[+++]

It is surprisingly almost too easy to slip into Lexcorp Headquarters in Metropolis and once there it is a straight shot to Luthor's office. The man kept unusual yet predatory creatures as pets, which can mean either he fears or respects what they are, maybe even both. Question settles into the chair in Luthor's office and waits with a view of much of Metropolis from here. It is imaginable that Luthor once basked in the power that such a view must have given for many even from the tallest of buildings in Metropolis would see the slightly higher Lexcorp building with its imposing black exterior overshadowing them. The familiar scrapping sound of Luthor's tasteful yet excessive in costs wing tip shoes are near. His attention drawn likely to the paperwork and his face reveals initial surprise when Question whirls around in his chair.

His demeanor is quick to change into a confident smile.

"Question isn't it? I believe you took something that belongs to me."

His gaze almost stuck on his paper stack does not dissuade Question from what the man's real focus is, which is to find out why Question is here and maybe what he knows now from the archives.

"Have you seen the latest polls? It is beginning to look like you'll be the next president, just like in that other world."

"I wouldn't bet against me."

His smile widens as he leans towards Question after sitting on the desk.

"No, it wouldn't be prudent. I want you to understand something, Luthor. Although my distaste for you a human being is Brobdingnagian, what I am about to do isn't personal."

_He sounds unprepared, makes it simpler, but not easier though his demeanor looks even more confident._

"What are you babbling about?"

_He feigns ignorance naturally._

"Everything that exists has a specific nature. Each entity as something in particular and has characteristics that are part of what it is. A is A…"

Question loosens and lowers his tie, which likewise opens part of his dark yellow buttoned down shirt.

"… and no matter what reality he calls home, Luthor is Luthor."

Question gets to his feet and walks around the desk as he continues his tirade while removing his tie completely.

"If I am to save the world, your existence must end before you take office."

Luthor almost unmoving reveals that he understands what and why Question is about to attempt now.

"You are going to kill me so that Superman can't."

* * *

"_He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?" Strange that I should think of Nietzsche at a time like this, but then there is all the trouble I went through to dissuade Helena from killing Mandragora. Luthor's done nothing to me except instigate probabilities of a war that could kill billions. He's seen what I intend to do.

* * *

_

"I'm a well known crackpot, the Justice League's reputation will survive my actions, and Superman's legacy will remain intact."

Luthor stares at his fingers as Question prepares to strangle Luthor with his tie perhaps.

"Interesting plan. Unfortunately for you, it won't be an option."

Luthor punches Question, which hurdles the willingly assassin clear across the room towards the glass that separates the office from the sharks' tank. The glass spiders as Question slides to the floor and Luthor grins almost sinisterly at this new super strength then walks over to reveal what Question thought possible yet not probable.

"President? Foolish faceless man. My campaign is a farce – a small part in a much grander scheme."

The realization of this fear is on par with Superman killing Luthor for killing Flash. Question gets to his feet despite knowing he won't escape this office. He lunges to grab Luthor by neck again except Luthor's hand seizes him by the neck first. Luthor is faster and then rapidly slaps him several times, which hurts more than getting flung into the shark tank' exterior glass.

"President? Do you have any idea how much power I'd have to give up to be President?" laughs Luthor.

He throws Question a second time. Question's body collides with the desk and hard enough to push it several inches towards the window. A struggle to stay conscious for certain yet Question's plan to kill Luthor lands into a new juxtaposition as Luthor could quite possibly kill him thus substituting him for Flash, Superman kills Luthor and then Armageddon. Luthor however picks him up to taunt him more. There is no use resisting or fighting anymore because he felt certain he would die soon.

"That's right, conspiracy buff. I spent 75 million on a fake presidential campaign. All just to tick Superman off," chuckles Luthor.

Luthor's demeanor had all the more sinister in the last several minutes, but then Luthor is a more sinister villain than even Question could fathom. The pain doesn't stop, it only gets worse as he feels all the nerves in his back, his neck, and even more so his skull howl in pain. It felt like he could black out at any second and Luthor lowers himself to Question's face a fourth time.

"Now about those files you stole from me…"

He was dead wrong for the third time today as Luthor won't be killing him. Batman didn't deceive him as he had already suspected something strange about that night that Justice Lords fought Doomsday. Superman likewise was correct to worry about his rants and his knowledge of Lorder Superman burning President Luthor to a crisp after Luthor executed Flash. Luthor running for office had been a sham all along and Lexor City should have answered that tangent for itself. The saying goes bad things happen in 3's and of course the superstition is proven right tonight.

Everything that happens after this moment feels blurry, he knows he probably admits that he broke the encryption on the archives, but some part of him resists even when his body cannot withstand whatever the punishment that awaits him. The path to war is still possible, but now he may have become the trigger instead, the anguish at such a thought is unbearable.

_What will Huntress… will Helena do when she discovers what I had tried to do… what would she do? It could get her killed and it would be my fault… if she dies… then world would be over for me, and I'm already one step closer to death. _

He didn't all that he did for her just for her to die because of his mistake… he hopes she will not do what he knows she will do...

… _She will do it because she loves me.

* * *

_A/N 1: The Batcave scene is one I made up that occurs between the apartment 'epiphany' scene and the Founders Conference Room confrontation. It is also meant as a minor nod to the conversation/argument scene in _The Watchmen_, if you read _Watchmen_, you know what argument and who.

A/N 2: The discussion between Batman and Question is based on my interpretations of the events of **A Better World**. Batman as shown hears him out except conceals worry about Question's intentions so he attempts to sedate him except gets the tables turned.

A/N 3: The Question-Luthor conversation/fight is one of the most intense scenes in **Question Authority**, so one gets the dose of what happens in it plus Question's internal doubts/fears as well a worry/acceptance that Huntress will be coming after him.

A/N 4: The Nietzsche quote is intentional in terms of the Question-Luthor scene.


	11. Lines

She thumbs through several books she had kept that belonged to her mother and comes across several poems written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She at first could not fathom her mother's interest in poetry until reading one titled _The Lady's Yes. _The last lines had a rather emotional arrow shaped impact on her as she felt her heart race just a little_._

_The woman could have easily been writing about Vic.

* * *

_

Pure from courtship's flatteries.

By your truth she shall be true-  
Ever true, as wives of yore-  
And her Yes, once said to you,  
_Shall_ be Yes for evermore.

* * *

The words made her miss him even more, but she sorely hopes he'll call or even better reappear at her doorstep. She calls him, no answer, the same thing happens for the next few days, and little by little she starts to worry just a bit.

[+++]

Helena is not a terribly patient woman yet she had forced herself to grasp the concept of being so with Question. It paid off at times yet a few days of not getting through to him on her cell had worn down her patience. She begins to worry so she suits up with such speed that she finds her purpose is no longer to punish Mandragora, but to keep the one truly good element in her life… well… in her life. Then she realizes she has very little idea where to look for him aside from mentions that he has a place in Hub City, which is unfamiliar to her. It took time to get there from her current location on the outskirts of Bludhaven, and it did earn her an unexpected encounter with Nightwing.

She had not been back in this area much since assisting the jailbreak of the imprisoned costumes during the brief yet mentally taxing Thanagarian Occupation.

"I didn't expect to see you back in this area if ever Huntress," comments Nightwing.

"I didn't intend to be here, but I haven't been able to reach Question," responds Huntress.

"So it is true you are dating the League's conspiracy nut," remarks Nightwing.

"Lay off the insults Dick!" hisses Huntress.

"Easy Helena, I wasn't trying to be insulting!" retorts Nightwing.

"I'm sorry, I am worried about him, I know he has this dropping out of sight act though something feels wrong about it… sure it would take time to crack the files… but he could spare the time to answer me."

"If there is anything I have picked up from Batman… it would be the long hours and lack of human contact… Question struck me as being like that when I first met him… you are probably…"

"Worrying for nothing… sure… well if Barbara or Bruce ever dropped out of sight for almost half a week… you wouldn't be losing it would you?"

"I'd be concerned but it is what this line of work means to our personal relationships… it is an almost killer for them…. I meant emotionally killer, not physically."

"You think I am being paranoid… paranoid like him aren't you?"

"I just find it surprising you could be worrying about someone who disappears and vanishes in a way Batman… _Bruce_… has never done… and that you would actually be in love with him too."

Huntress clenches her jaw yet refrains from hitting him for all the things he keeps insinuating about her. The clench in her jaw lessens at the words 'in love with him'. Her shoulders slump before she turns to get back on her bike, she had a distance to go in order to reach Hub City.

She feels Nightwing's gloved hand on her shoulder and he hands her a scrap of paperwork with an address on it. A slight smile forms on her face and she leaves him with a light punch to the shoulder. He appears to be rubbing it like it hurts though it is likely an exaggeration unless she really hit his arm harder than she thought. The wind again causes her cape to flow with the breeze passing through the roadways she is taking to reach Question.

[+++]

Question's place in Hub City is a far cry even from her well kept apartment and a smaller space in contrast to Batman's Batcave hidden beneath the expensively decorated Wayne Manor. She searches for some indication of which unit is his because Nightwing's directions only brought her as far as the building and so she looks for names on the mailbox slots. She spots one that only has initials on it.

"V.S. as in _Vic Sage_… is that you Q?" whispers Huntress.

_How many men have a name like Victor Sage anyway? Right now he is the only Vic Sage matters to me._

She dashes upstairs and catches a faint stench in the air so she follows it. The corridor is fairly well lit yet the apartment building did look like it had seen better days. The stench to a lesser degree finally leads her to the unit belonging to V.S. She pulls out her lock picking tools and manages to unlock it though it takes more than a few minutes. The noises are audible and it sounds like his voice except he is rambling or ranting about something. She bypasses several locks before reaching the knob lock and then the door opens with ease.

"Screening your calls? You haven't answered the phone for days," exclaims Huntress.

She doesn't mean to sound angry with him even though she is just a little, but until lately she never felt prone to worrying about anyone in the way she worries about him. His fedora is on a nearby table and there is the stench of course. He looks like he's been in those clothes ever since he left her apartment the morning after they had come close to having sex though both felt too tired to make anything more than clumsy gestures that indicate a state of arousal. The lack of energy in both kept them half dressed as they slept in her bed. He seem so pure in his moves towards her in the early hours of that morning and now it almost felt like she is seeing a side she's never seen of him before and it almost scares her yet he had stood by her through the situation with Mandragora. It is not about repaying him for it or to even the scales.

His rambling continues and she inches her way towards him after opening the window.

"Q, Are you alright?" asks Huntress softly.

He barely answers before snatching the fedora from the place where it sat ever since it fell off his head during the pacing. She could see the signs of it in the inexpensive carpeting. He dashes out the door and she hears the slam. He left his laptop on, Q is usually very privacy minded, so whatever he found must have given him cause to leave in a hurry, but what she had yet to find out. Huntress plops down in front of the laptop and activates the last video file he accessed from the decrypted archives. It is a video simulation of the White House's Oval Office or at least how it might look with Luthor as President. Then she hears Superman's voice. Her eyes remain fixed on the screen as the scene unfolds before her.

"_**There are at least six different ways I can stop you right now," **__comments Superman_

"_**But they all involve deadly force, don't they? And you don't do that,"**__ snorts Luthor._

"_**No. You **__**need**__** me. You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain, and you **__**do**__** love being a hero, don't you? The cheering children, the swooning women - you love it so much it's made you my most reliable accomplice!" **__continues Luthor._

"_**Accomplice? What're you-,"**__ retorts Superman._

"_**You could have crushed me any time you wanted. And it wasn't the law or the will of the people that stopped you - it was your ego. Being a hero was too important to you. You're as much responsible for this as I am! So go ahead, fix it somehow. Put me on trial, lock me up - but I'll beat it. And then we'll start the whole thing all over again," **__cracks Luthor._

"_**... I did love being a hero. But if this is where it leads...I'm done with it,"**__ concludes Superman._

The screen turns completely red after Superman's eyes glow, which meant he used his heat vision. Her limbs felt unable to move even though she knows she must get to Q before he does something he will regret possibly. She shuts off the laptop then takes it with her as she dashes out the door and realizes he has something of a head start on her plus no longer being a member of the League she had no way to track him, but there is one person though it would mean going to Gotham. She could only hope he would be open to listening to her about Question.

Once downstairs again she slides the laptop in the compartment hidden under the back part of the bike's seat. She climbs onto the bike then takes off Gotham bound. All along the way she watches for signs of Question's passage because something like a 1967 Pontiac GTO does not go unnoticed by other drivers, bikers, and truckers.

[+++]

It is near night fall by the time she passes into Gotham City and still no trace of him. She refrains from cursing at almost all the other drivers getting in her way, but of course she still draws attention to herself except it is not the Bat silhouette that she would expect. A vehicular electronic jammer causes the bike to shut down on her once she had managed to pull over into an alleyway.

Batgirl lands in front of her and Robin lands behind her.

"What are you doing in Gotham Huntress?" demands Batgirl.

"If it were him I might be nervous, but I see both of you here yet no Batman," responds Huntress.

"Nightwing did send a message that you were active in Bludhaven except said you were off to Hub City to find Question," continues Robin.

"I was looking for him, I found him, but then he took off because of something he saw in the decrypted files that he pocketed from that Cadmus front," whispers Huntress.

"We have to stay on patrol otherwise one of us would be going back with you, so if you find Batman tell him to contact us somehow… the city is rather unforgiving tonight…"

_What we do is a thankless profession Barbara… I learned that long ago._

Huntress once back in control of her bike zips off in the direction of Wayne Manor. The manor house rests atop a hill that ends at a promontory overlooking the water. She parks outside the manor's garage yet as she goes to ring the bell at the front door. It opens and there to greet her with a frying pan in hand is Alfred Pennyworth.

"Miss Bertinelli… what brings you here this time of night?"

"I'm here to see Batman… to see Bruce… I need to track down Question…"

"You are a little late for that Helena… he was here earlier… we talked… but it didn't end well."

"What do you mean didn't end well?"

"I think you should come down to the Batcave… it is not that I don't trust you Alfred… but this is a very personal matter for Helena right now."

"I understand Master Bruce."

They descend into the cave and she notes that there is a trace sign that Batman had been jabbed by a narrow sharp object in the last few hours.

"What happen to you?"

"Question happened."

"What did he do?"

"He shared his latest findings about Cadmus with me and then we talked about something that the Founders have kept to themselves since before the Thanagarian Occupation."

"You mean the Justice Lords… don't you?"

"How you did…ugh… never mind either he told you or you have seen the files too… if Dick's last message about you going to Hub City means anything."

"I made several attempts to phone him and no return calls from him either. By this morning, I couldn't wait anymore yet I had next to no idea where to look for him. I was going to ask you, but Dick intercepted me on the way in one sense of the word."

"He gave you address, you went, you found him looking unkempt, crime fighting workaholics like myself or Vic often tends to forgo the amenities though in his longer brooding or tangents… he often forgoes much more than hygiene."

She remembers the smell, but then she also remembers the uneasiness in the way he was carrying himself as he had run out the door and then there was still all the data she skimmed through after the simulation clip of President Luthor's assassination.

"I spoke to him, but it was like talking to a wall… then he took off and that's when I found the simulation videos of events that were cited to have taken place in the Justice Lords reality. He had previously spoken at some length about missing footage and tapes from that day especially the prison where Luthor was being held at the time. He also spoke about classified and forged documentation for repairs to the prison even though officially the whole thing allegedly never happened at all."

"It did happen and now he fears it will happen again so he just might try to kill Luthor himself thinking it would save the world and the reputation of the League as well as Superman."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"He is convinced that Flash would be killed by Luthor just like President Luthor killed Flash in the Lords reality, and like in the Lords' reality he believes Flash's death would trigger Luthor's assassination in the Oval Office."

"Oh God, why Vic… why are you doing this?

Huntress covers her eyes as the woman, as Helena starts to cry behind the mask, and Batman pulls back the cowl. He goes over to her and allows her to cry onto the chest area of the Batsuit.

"If we are to stop him, we have to get Metropolis," sniffles Huntress.

"You'll have to go… I have to get to Waller to stop whatever she might do if something happens to Luthor or Cadmus simply decides to move ahead with the plan otherwise."

"I can't dissuade Question or find Question on my own."

"Find Jimmy Olsen, he carries a watch that emits a signal that only Superman can hear, if Superman is planet side now… he'll come to wherever you have Jimmy… now go… I have other things to do."

Batman pulls the cowl back up and wipes off the Batsuit before jumping over into the Batmobile then the vehicle zips off into the tunnel that connect s to the bridge that regulates the vehicle/back door entrance to the Batcave. It will be a bit of drive to get to Metropolis, but right now, she didn't care how tired or achy she felt, she had to save Question, even from himself if she had to and before she mounts her bike she wipes her eyes. It is the first time she had sadly cried for someone other than her dead parents.

[+++]

She arrives in Metropolis after pushing the bike to max for the third time today and it is getting even later. She had gotten a good photo description of him and Olsen happens to be a red head, almost like him. Huntress pushes the comparison out of mind to focus on the task of using Jimmy's watch to bait Superman. Jimmy Olsen never even felt the blow because it is quick and sudden at least in her estimation. She takes him to a rooftop then binds him to a chair as well as gagging him, no use in him calling for help, but she would not harm him though the fact that she attacked him could constitute assault in some places. The watch looks like an ordinary watch until examining it more closely and the signal is not difficult trigger as Superman probably saw to keep it simple in terms of activation.

At last she thinks she knows the signal trigger so she presses it yet she hears nothing. Of course it is probably on a frequency only heard by individuals with a particular kind of hearing like Superman. There is another sound, one that is unmistakable the so-called famous whoosh that precedes the Man of Steel's arrival when flying in from somewhere at rather high velocity for anyone else, but him.

"Jimmy?" calls Superman.

"Not quite," answers Huntress.

Huntress crosses into his direct line of sight dangling the watch between her ring and middle fingers.

"Some kind of hypersonic signal right?"

She looks at him trying her best to conceal her emotions from him.

"Keeps good time too."

She can hardly believe she is able to speak in such an aloof manner to a man who could kill her in so many different ways if he felt so. He closes the distance by zipping directly in front of her and snatching the watch from her hand. She is not really holding it that tightly anyway.

"What do you think are you doing?" demands Superman.

"Your little pal is fine," sighs Huntress.

He sees Olsen bound and gagged to a chair. His annoyance among other things is clear from his face even with the gag.

"I was just trying to get your attention. You guys need a hot line," continues Huntress coolly.

Olsen muffles something through the gag and Superman informs him, he'll be free in a few.

"This better be good," grunts Superman.

"Question's been missing for almost a week. Just before he disappeared he was behaving oddly… I mean oddly for him. He saw a simulation of you killing Luthor, freaked out and ran off."

Superman does show some sign of worry now, as for why even Huntress cannot be certain yet he does the reflex motion to try to raise Question on comlink. She suspects he would not be answering Superman just as he did answer her calls or when she spoke to him face to face before his disappearing act.

"Question? Question, this is Superman, come in."

_No response, no surprise there, but another dead end maybe._

"Channel is open yet no response. J'onn should be able to track it."

Superman unties Jimmy than flies him back to his place. He returns with sympathies from Jimmy about Question's disappearance it was more than she expected considering how she used Olsen to lure Superman, but then Olsen had his own fondness at one time for Superman's cousin Kara too. She supposed he grasps what it means to worry about someone important to you.

[+++]

J'onn traces the signal to a waste disposal facility, specifically outside in the heaps of garbage, and there in plain sight is his comlink. It is intact and she starts clawing away at the dirt yet Superman pulls her back to her feet. They took him alive is the conclusion that Superman offers to her.

"If Cadmus has him, we'll never find him," groans Huntress.

"Sure we can, we have been keeping tabs on Cadmus for months. We know exactly where they are," comments Superman.

Huntress conceals surprise yet also frustration.

"You knew and didn't do anything?" responds Huntress.

"The Justice League plays by the rules. We will move when we have valid evidence, but not before now. We will move within the limits of the law," retorts Superman.

Huntress fumes on the inside knowing that kind of evidence would take too long and by then Question could be dead or worse.

"That's why I quit."

"As I remember you were fired…"

_When I say 'quit', I mean I quit believing in playing by the rules and right now it does me no good to abide by the rules with Cadmus up to something and Q missing because of his investigations into Cadmus. However if you want to be technical yes my actions regarding Mandragora got me the boot from J'onn._

"Although you may have a point this time," concludes Superman.

"So…" probes Huntress.

"You and I will do this together, but we are doing this off the books," states Superman.

_You do look a bit intimidating now, but at least maybe this way we'll get Question though none of this will end well that is certain yet it is the only way to get him back alive in my mind._

[+++]

It is too risky to teleport and going in on foot is just as dangerous even with Superman for backup or rather point man given the way he is likely to crush many things with his bare hands. She follows him to the deceptively dilapidated warehouse that sits atop the multi-level facility that currently serves as Cadmus' answer to the Monitor Hub aboard the Watchtower II. It is expected that security will be on full alert once Superman's S –logo is seen on camera, maybe even before then. Huntress likewise finds herself with security personnel on bikes of their own with mounted energy weapons firing from them. She drops back and jumps from her bike to one of theirs then tosses the guard off his vehicle before using it to blast her way through the rest of his squad. They did however have enough time to call for backup.

"Just perfect," groans Huntress.

Superman fends off jet troopers armed with Kryptonite based pulse guns, which prove to be tiresome as well as painful though he can handle it at least by using cold breath to freeze the weapons. They however like the bikers start attacking in greater numbers. He instead reverts to simply closing the distance then dragging one after another into the direction of one of their comrades by physically slamming them into each other. The engagements continue until an alert signals, which probably means they are being drawn back inside to shore for an interior fight.

[+++]

Huntress runs in through a breach made by Superman at the front of the structure yet waiting inside for them are Task Force X minus Plastique. Superman had known they were short a member yet it did not matter, they are still formidable between Flagg and Lawton. However this time Lawton is back in full gear or at least a battle suit that resembles his old Deadshot look. As for Flagg, he is wearing a different kind of battle armor that puts him on near even footing with Superman. Superman engages Flagg while Huntress takes on Lawton. As for Harkness, he is securing other entry points to the lower levels while Fugate apprises the three of any changes in defense strategy most likely.

"How did Cadmus manage to get you Lawton?" queries Huntress.

"How did you get mixed up with that traitor and the Kryptonian, Bertinelli?" goads Lawton.

Huntress closes the distance, but Lawton fires off two AP mini-rockets at her. She somersaults repeatedly to dodge then slides on the floor elbowing him in the pelvis. He falls to his knees catching the backwash of mini-rockets explosion.

She jumps back to her feet then upon turning around sees Superman still fighting Flagg. Flagg can hold his own well, but tonight Superman is clearly in a mood. The resistance thus has been manageable, but this is a delaying tactic clearly. Huntress spots Harkness and with greater ease than with Lawton, she knocks him out too.

"You find a way down yet Huntress?" yells Superman.

"I found one that Harkness didn't get to in time, he's taking a nap right now," shouts Huntress.

Superman catches one of Flagg's punches and then the other.

"You are breaking and entering government property. You are attempting liberate a criminal arrested for treason who is so far charged with theft of government data as well as the attempted murder of Lex Luthor," cites Flagg.

"Likewise, I find your agency guilty of conspiring to eradicate the Justice League, sabotage of the Watchtower, hiring criminals to infiltrate the Watchtower, capturing and possibly torturing a member of the Justice League," counters Superman.

"The people won't stand for this."

"The people don't know how afraid you are of us."

"You led an invasion of our world, you failed to prevent two since then, you barely derailed the near destruction of Earth on countless occasions, and between the lot of you have stacked up a rather large deck of villains who otherwise would have not come together to counter your numbers… you are all a threat to humanity."

"Not all of us have powers with the exception of myself and a handful of others, but of course you mistrust anyone who acts outside of your control… what is more your agency is financed by Lex Luthor… while claiming to be reformed, he isn't exactly guilt free either."

"At least Luthor and many others have the gall to stand up to you. You think all that ability gives you leverage to throw around..."

"Good night Colonel," comments Huntress.

She slugs him in the midst of his tirade.

"Both sides have valid points, but this war Q was afraid of… we have to find a way to avert it or settle it quickly because… destroying ourselves over philosophical disagreements is definitely idiotic."

"Agreed, but for now I'll settle on shutting down Cadmus."

"Right now, I just want… need to get Question out of here and away from these lunatics."

They burst through another reinforced door and look downward. It is a long drop yet it is likely that this is not the only entry point to this facility. However it is the only one they have found so far. Superman descends by flight whereas Huntress fires a titanium reinforced grappler to the ceiling then plunges over the edge of the stairwell.

"I'll be there soon baby… just hold on a little longer," whispers Huntress.

_I won't let them hurt you anymore, they won't take you away from me, whatever you thought you had to do, I forgive you, the only thing that matters is getting you back, I don't know what I do… without you._

She lands next to Superman who is staring at a much heavily reinforced door lined with highly concentrated lead.

"You can't see through it can you?" guesses Huntress.

"Nope, but it is still coming down," answers Superman.

His foot connects with the door, which snaps the whole middle section down and all she hears next is gunfire. A whole squad armed to the teeth starting shooting away though the bullets all bounce off Superman so she stays behind him.

"We should be passed the lead shielding by now. I should be able to find Question with my infrared vision."

Superman's heat vision melts the guns so the soldiers drop them and fling themselves at him. He throws them all, but more flood the corridor from other sectors. Something or someone else got his attention leaving her to fight the soldiers alone yet it had given some release for her strained nerves to take out her frustration on them. She would beat them up, but they would live after a few days in casts and plenty of bed rest presumably. They keep coming and coming yet she holds out well. It is the best workout she has had all week, but still she had to find Q, find _Vic_.

Superman reappears after a few moments. She feels a snappy retort coming on as he looks quite determined to finish this just as she does now.

"Next time go to the bathroom before you go on a mission," cracks Huntress sarcastically.

"Let's go," commands Superman.

Another reinforced door gives away to an interrogation chamber with a rather ragged looking Question restrained to a vertically inclined metal table top. Superman again closes the distance between himself and Question's interrogator hefts a gun.

"Don't be stupid. Drop it," orders Superman.

The strange Asiatic looking interrogator does as he is told and puts his hands in the air.

"Sorry, not good enough," snaps Huntress.

Her punch sends him clear across the room before she pulls her crossbow on him. There is the glint a bow ready to fire and the fear in the man's eyes. She thought about killing him until Superman calls out to her. She pulls back and shoulders Question once he is freed from the restraints. Superman takes point again. Huntress had seen him wracked by the contents of the Cadmus archives, but this is worse because they had beaten him, tortured him, yet through it all he is babbling about things like 'encoded in amino acids.'

"Lean on me we are getting out of here," murmurs Huntress.

She restrains from doing any number of things right now like almost killing the interrogator or slaughtering the soldiers who followed the orders to hold him here. Other things as well, darker things, things that Question would prefer she definitely not resort to doing because of how he went to such lengths to prevent her from fulfilling her childhood revenge against the fat man.

"C'mon babydoll. It is all right."

Superman relates his plan for their exit until they both clearly here the drawl of Captain Atom's accent.

"That won't be necessary Superman."

"Good to see you Captain. Cover our flank."

_You shouldn't have trusted him Superman. He is not our side anymore at least if Question's suspicions about him are right._

"I'm afraid you misunderstand. I am speaking as an officer of the United States Air Force."

"Bad time to grow a sense of humor Cap."

"No joke ma'am."

_Damn some times I wish you could be wrong baby, but you are usually right._

"I'm currently assigned to General Eiling's Special Projects Unit. My orders are to prevent you from taking Question out of this facility. So how is this gonna go down?"

Captain Atom's gloved fist begins to glow redder than the glove's red shade.

_What kind of radiation is that?_

Superman and Captain Atom stare each other down. Nobody moves, nobody blinks, and the realization in mind is getting in was actually the easy part, but getting out is another story.

As for Captain Atom, his involvement in this situation began with his role as handler for Question's transfer from Lexcorp to Rockefeller Air Force Base prior to his final transfer to this facility.

_Duty bound indeed, but I am still taking Question away from the likes of you Atom. This is not over yet._

_

* * *

_A/N 1: The poem quoted reflects she is driven by love to rescue him because its not just owing him for what he did for her. The only overlap between this one and the previous chapter is the scene in Vic's apartment yet the rest occurs after Question's taken by Cadmus.

A/N 2: Another Watchmen reference is Rockefeller Air Force Base. As for the appearances of Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin, they merely make verbal cameos. Nightwing apparently makes a silent cameo as a shadow on a rooftop within the first several minutes of Grudge Match. His crouching position makes him almost identical to the stone gargoyles.

A/N 3: The previous segment's Batcave scene connects with Huntress meeting with Batman after he begins to recover from the sedative he intended to use on Question. She tries to elicit his help in finding Question, but he is going off to find Waller instead to find out what Cadmus' next move will be. As for her sidetrip to Metropolis to find Jimmy, that's self-explanatory.

A/N 4: The dialogue is only partially lifted from **Question Authority** again. As for rest, that's my doing. Her behavior/thinking about/towards Question in some ways parallels Question' in regards to her in the duology segments set during **Double Date** episode.


	12. Pathways

"This is ridiculous. If you're not gonna help us, get out of our way," orders Superman.

"Not an option Superman. I've got my orders, legal and proper," countermands Captain Atom.

The staring contest is about to become a sparring match, which meant neither of these two power houses are about to back or stand down.

"Dude, Superman just told you to step aside," interjects Huntress.

"I heard him, ma'am. Not gonna happen," retorts Atom.

Atom smashes his red glowing fists into Superman, which sends the Man of Steel flying over Huntress and Question towards the far wall at the end of the comlink shielded corridor. Huntress had made a slight effort to duck knowing otherwise she and an already injured Question would have gone along with Superman into the wall.

"I control radiation Superman. That includes red sun radiation," states Atom.

The good Captain is trying to implore Superman to stand off and walk away. Atom's past as Captain Adams had shaped his predisposition to adhere to the chain of command, to the given orders, but he did not believe perhaps in killing to adhere as well as uphold those orders. Question while not completely conscious had already seen that about him from the night he was taken by Atom to Rockefeller Air Base before Atom was likely told to bring Question here to this underground 'nerve' center.

"Huntress, get Question out of here. Don't wait for me," commands Superman.

"What makes you think I was gonna?" answers Huntress rhetorically.

"Call J'onn for transport when you get outside. This building is comlink shielded."

The irradiated fists of Atom brighten the corridor around them.

"Nobody is going anywhere with Question. Thought I made that clear," retorts Atom.

Superman dodges Atom's swing and lands one of his own smacking the stunned Captain into the wall. Superman then shoves Atom into the other wall yet seconds after that Atom swings around blasting Superman with red sun energy again. He continues whaling away at the Kryptonian with his irradiated fists. It is clearly painful for Superman, but then Superman's level of endurance varies and right about now he is quite possibly determined enough that only one of them is walking out of this corridor conscious. Superman appears to be downed so Atom resumes his attempt to recover Question except Superman body slams into the wall at the opposite end of the corridor yet again hesitates thinking Atom is out cold.

Atom attacks again and so the fight resumes like its start-stop pattern. The only thing compelling them to fight is to counteract what the other is doing here because otherwise there would not be in a reason to fight in theory. It goes back and forth with neither Atom nor Superman gaining the upper hand for long.

Question feels the sensory effects of the electric shock wearing off enough to regain his ability to speak coherently.

"You shouldn't have come after me!" berates Question.

"You shouldn't have snuck off without me!" hisses Huntress.

Both however notice a Cadmus security squad in the open storage area ahead of them. One squad member is about to fire on them except Huntress lunges into action immediately as if on reflex once again like earlier when fighting the security forces on the surface or the guards before springing Question from that emotionless sounding interrogator. The first one she collides with now goes down quick, but his buddy, they go down quicker. A rapid succession of slugging, elbowing, and punching all precede a string of thuds on the metallic floor beneath her heeled boots. Next she turns her attention to the reinforced door behind the knocked out guards.

"Locked, sure why not?" sighs Huntress sarcastically.

The noise is getting louder behind her and Question, which means one of the two is starting to come out ahead though that question is about to answer itself.

"C'mon, c'mon!" yells Huntress.

Superman and Atom smash heads first through the reinforced door together. Huntress pulls Question back to his feet and shoulders him through the breach. The two power houses are still at despite it looking like Superman is overpowering Atom now.

The on foot path way upward is one almost endless series of open stairwells.

"I can't make it," resigns Question.

"Sure you can," pips Huntress.

She fires off the titanium grappler again and together it propels them upward yet their ascent is almost cut off by the ongoing midair punching match between jail breaker and jail warden. The rest of the ascent once clearing the erratic flight fight path places them only a dash from the auxiliary entry/exit.

"This is Huntress, two for emergency transport…" orders Huntress.

"_You are no longer a member of the Justice League. Clear this channel immediately," _rebukes J'onn.

"Save it, Q is down, and we are under fire. Get us out of here then scan the area Superman won't be far behind," retorts Huntress.

Question feels the familiar tingle of a teleport beam as he looks to Huntress with both admiration and humiliation. Admiration because she did what he knew she would do and humiliation for himself, for attempting what he did that night in Luthor's office. He also felt it for not trusting her enough, for not accepting why Batman kept much of the Justice Lords' incident from him, but Superman had yet to disprove the possibility of Armageddon through Luthor. The pathways to avoid that exist, but then all theories and questions eventually come face to face with realities and answers.

[+++]

Question once aboard the Watchtower is taken to the infirmary level immediately. His injuries while not terribly severe, he still has several broken bones, some fractures and it is difficult to determine what happen to his face if anything. After awhile the medical technicians and orderlies clear out. The recommendations include plenty of bed rest to say the least since his body for the lack of better phrasing screams exhaustion, fatigue, and plenty of other symptoms that are highly suggestive of lack of sleep. He couldn't verbally or inwardly disagree with the recommendations because right now he felt worse than he looks despite the comfort of having Helena at his bedside right now. Question also had the feeling that Superman in all scenarios had beaten Captain Atom to the brink though as for whether Atom would survive the encounter is not something to ponder for other larger things crowd his mind.

Huntress pulls up an oxygen mask to put over his face except he weakly begins to speak again.

"Wait…"

He touches his face for the first time in days, but it felt. He had never worn the mask this long before. The urge to remove it felt stronger the compulsion to keep it on.

"Get this off me…"

She tries to remove it with her hands, but that is not the way, he knows it, he is slow to tell her the right way because he had forgotten almost what it felt like for her to touch him. An affirmation that she is real, that this is not dream that will turn into a nightmare at any second, and that brought him slightly closer to feeling alive again instead of deadening himself to everything that Moon had shown him.

He looks toward his long dark purple trench coat and mumbles something about aerosol in his coat pocket. She pulls it out and deftly aims with precision at his face before spraying it. He knows his hair is the first thing to change back, from dark black to bright red, at times he did despise having reddish hair except he had known about a few red heads in costumes like Flash and Batgirl for starters. His hair color like his name remains a closely guarded secret to all but a few such as Huntress… _Helena_. There is a tendency for him to mentally correct himself when alternating between Huntress and Helena. Question had more of a tendency to do it, like a reflex, but most often Vic would be the only part of him to consistently think or say Helena instead of Huntress.

She loosens the mask then peels it back quickly to reveal his bruised face, swollen eye and cheeks. He felt uglier on the inside and wondering just a little if this is what other costumes felt when they nearly did kill someone. It felt revolting even a part of him, mostly Question had found irrefutable cause to rationalize the act of killing Luthor and in the days since then he found out how Lorder Batman probably had come to feel about his complicity in the Lords' reign on their Earth. Their Luthor's assassination had found its justification with the alleged trigger button box in the President's desk, but even so, Lorder Superman had walked right into it.

There is no way to know what that Luthor's last thoughts were, but one of them probably had something to do with what he driven Superman to do by killing their Flash. Indeed he had put that Superman on a rampage into that White House, which ended with his death, no last laugh, just gone, _dead_ gone. A situation like that one is still possible on this world, but the pathways to that had to be followed through to their ends unless someone found a way to change what he saw as immutable.

He could feel her fingers in his hair, her eyes looking down on him such affection, he had rarely seen such happiness on her face, it had been fleeting that night they spent together before he given his whole mind over to the Cadmus archives decryption. She felt so warm, so loving, and even more right now. It could make him cry, but his muscles felt so strained that he only felt the phantom tear sensation as he called it.

"You were right – I am the ugliest guy of all time," groans Vic.

_I heard you when you said all those weeks ago when you asked for my help to find Mandragora. I chalked it up to being a tease or maybe I really thought I was ugly. One wonders why those who wear masks, wear literal masks too, but beneath plenty of them are visually appealing people though whether or not someone look appealing is in the eye of the beholder as usual._

"Not in my eyes," whispers Helena.

Supergirl had apparently taken interest though Huntress shifts the window from transparent to opaque. She returns to the bed and they kiss in such a way that he knows for certainty that this is no dream, that it is indeed real. He almost makes a mental chuckle associating at all with the word certainty and likely Supergirl would have spoken to Superman by now about Atom… about Hamilton. Huntress is giving Superman some slack, but not a lot even as she knows she would not been able to free Question without his assistance. Superman's presence during Huntress' attempt to break him out had been vital. This fact only alters the situation on a personal level, not a professional one or a global one for that matter.

"What happen, Question? How did Cadmus get ahold of you?" queries Superman.

_He hides it well, he is suspicious given my behavior almost a week ago._

"I went to kill Luthor so that you wouldn't be able to," answers Question.

_The honest answer to your direction inquiry, but your objection is near._

"That's not how we do things," retorts Superman.

_So sure of yourself, but the doubts are there including Luthor, Darkseid and the Thanagarians._

"How do we do things, Superman? Your counterpart killed Luthor, this Luthor is scheming to enrage you-"snaps Question.

_Hit a nerve there…_

"Doing a pretty good job of it too," concedes Superman.

_Recognition a step, but it'll take more than that to advert Armageddon… factors other than yourself made the averting shift of pathways possible… only you stand between yourself and Luthor…_

"- ruining your reputation, turning your friends and comrades against you, creating a super powered arms race—but you _cannot succumb_!"

"I can shut down Cadmus _without_ killing Luthor," insists Superman.

"Carry on, then. If you're wrong, not like it's the end of the world, right?"

Superman exits in silence, there is a battle to be fought within, and the side Question had admired greatly for years appears to be losing, but the battle is not over yet. He had to believe that others could make the hard calls; the right calls because who could save the world when the super heroes are torn between in-fighting and a government sanctioned agency that believes those same heroes are a threat. All the suspicions and theories are hurdling ahead faster than a speeding bullet. Huntress returns after seeing Superman walk out and making a beeline for the turbolift.

[+++]

The voice of J'onn J'onzz can be heard throughout the Watchtower announcing a binary fusion discharge. A cascade of images flash through Vic's mind of everything he saw in the archives including something called Flashpoint-23, which had some unspecific connection to the Dark Heart incident. The connection is the binary fusion gun, which means someone is firing the gun, but it is not being done from up here. There are only at least three individuals who know how to fire it remotely as he had found out both by his own research into the weapon as well as gaining grudging confirmation from Batman several weeks after what happen with the Dark Heart.

One of the three is Luthor.

The memory of the night he tried to kill Luthor clicks into place.

"_**I'm a well known crackpot, the Justice League's reputation will survive my actions, and Superman's legacy will remain intact."**_

_Appearances are deceiving, my plan did not work because I did not anticipate the extent of this Luthor's plot to enrage Superman and discredit the League at the same time._

"_**Interesting plan. Unfortunately for you, it won't be an option."**_

_My underestimation left me vulnerable, and something else is still out of place with Luthor._

"_**President? Foolish faceless man. My campaign is a farce – a small part in a much grander scheme."**_

_I suspected that, I feared it was a cover for something worse, but this, no not this._

"_**President? Do you have any idea how much power I'd have to give up to be President?"**__ laughs Luthor._

_It made sense now, as President he wouldn't be able to accelerate the pathways to war this quickly. As a hidden third faction, he could do things like this, and much more… much worse. Pieces are still missing as for how Luthor had gotten that strong. The Kryptonite cancer led to him getting the chest plate. The suit he wrote in conjunction with the plate made him stronger, but not that strong as AMAZO tore it off with ease years ago._

_Luthor relies heavily on misdirection like the fake campaign and financing Cadmus cut down the time it would take to advance all kinds of technology including nanotechnology, which links it to the AMAZO blueprints. He is building another android, but for why exactly remains unclear. Luthor does have an obsession with immortality, but there is more to it that at least in theory yet by pushing his notable enemies and his reluctant allies to war… _

… _he can achieve his plans without interference unless Batman can persuade Waller._

"Close one… no wait… something is wrong… the count is back on… damn," curses Huntress.

"It is too late to stop it… the gun will fire in a matter of seconds… even Superman is not that fast," remarks Question.

The target in all probability is Cadmus, but given the breakout of Question and the 'loss' of Captain Atom, Cadmus will have pulled up stakes yet the act of firing will become the tipping point. The city, the suburbs, and the towns nearest to the target zone would still suffer the back wash and the shockwaves for starters because unlike with Dark Heart, there is no desert surrounding the former Cadmus nerve center. The facility is hidden beneath an isolated warehouse that is only mere miles for a densely populated region in New Mexico. One could almost liken it to Hiroshima or Nagasaki when the atomic bombs fell from the sky and an instant showed the entire world just how destructive humanity had become at the flick of switch or a push of the button. Pandora's Box opens yet again with latest in weapons technology such as the binary fusion gun that protrudes from the underside of the Watchtower II and as already known to the indescribable horror of the station's personnel, heroes and staffers alike, someone is firing it.

[+++]

The abandoned facility would be gone in a matter of seconds and everything… everyone with and near the blast radius would see it from the ground. A moment frozen in time, all eyes on the white glow that rips through the clouds on a sunny afternoon and everything just stops except for the discharge naturally. Next one probably hears a deafening rumbling, electronics go berserk like car alarms all going off at once, the pavement heaves upward, sonic booms, people flee in every direction away from the devastation, but it is coming for them all the same. Vehicles go flying, glass shatters, buildings weaken, structure crumble, and perhaps if there are highways, whatever holds them up gives way suddenly.

The vehicles in motion will attempt to flee or if on the collapsing highway, their drivers will slam the breaks causing massive pileups of metal and maybe even bodies. Windows spider and blow outwards into the air. Stationary objects fly upward then plunge back down and the people continue to search for ways to out run the back wash, but then just as quickly as it had come, it appears to be over, but this… this is only the flashpoint. The worse is still to come after the panic subsides, then there is the confusion like what did this, who did this, and why did they do this. If anyone realizes it is the binary gun then anger, frustration, and rage will follow quickly enough. Resentment is also liable to enter the situation as well, resent the League, and resent the government for allowing the League to have such a weapon, even though the Thanagarian hindsight excuse can be given for its existence, nobody is buying that line anymore.

The plume is visible up close, from within the city, from the outskirts, from the skies above, and even from many miles away. It is unmistakable that it had as much a Pandora effect as the atomic bomb and that was the point especially if Luthor is the one behind the firing. The fact that gun exists and could be taken over in this matter make the League responsible for having it. A responsibility that will cost, but one they'll have to shoulder whether Armageddon comes tonight, tomorrow, or sooner. Undoubtedly the President will be phoning and the Martian will to be diplomatic to say the least.

Someone will likely propose bringing in League assistance to own up and help even when plenty are bound to turn away that help.

[+++]

Cadmus meanwhile is likely on more than just standby, they might even act without authorization, but then they would need the legitimacy to appear legally right and make the League look morally as well as legally wrong. Tensions are building to a boiling point and Waller as Question had come to grasp is not a patient sort nor will she sit idly by thinking that his 'rescue' had precipitated the firing, but that is too large a claim to assert on breaking out one man. Then again it would appear the murder of Flash in the Justice Lords' reality became the tipping point for the surviving six to go after Luthor to remove him by any means necessary from Office. They did just that, but here things are playing out differently yet the results could be far worse than a costumed authority complex, it could lead to a war that the Lords prevented by killing their Luthor.

The Watchtower floats in emergency power mode in orbit while Cadmus likely is preparing to launch a counterattack in response to the firing of the binary gun, but this is not the only reason that triggers such a move. The closer one gets to the source, the more like a black hole it becomes, drawing everything to the center, no matter how far removed one believes they are from this battle because all pathways are converging on this day. Whatever decisions are made, the consequences come right out of the wood work with them even Question knows this.

Everyone is keeping busy just to keep their minds off the fact that power is out and it will take at best an hour to come back online because the discharge took every last bit of energy with it hence the point of calling it a binary weapon. As for Cadmus' leverage against that, they made an Ultimen army to supplement the 'mistakes' made with the first Ultimen. On a genetics standpoint, they were flawed, but as individuals, the only thing that really 'screwed' them up was learning their entire existence was a fabrication yet one had shown individuality to the end. One in mind is the original Long Shadow as by now he and the other original Ultimen have died yet in their place stands an army compromised of dozens, if not hundreds possessing the same abilities and powers.

This is army is the only force available to Cadmus that matches the League for numbers as well as 'firepower' hence a literal manifestation of super powered arms race. The deck is stacking heavily against the League, the odds have never been against them quite like this before, but not all pathways to averting Armageddon are closed off yet.

There are also the references to a device that would enable a user to interface collectively with the Ultimen army, which made the so-called army, nothing more than an extension of the user's intentions towards whoever the user is sent after. Waller would undoubtedly use Galatea to lead the assault because from a genetics standpoint she is most successful one they have ever had, but psychologically is another story.

[+++]

Doubt fills the air, mistrust spreads between the lips, suspicions flow through the minds, and frustration courses the veins. The Watchtower has limited functionality back, but full power is another story. However with both Steel and the Atom on the job, they could shave time, but then time is decidedly not on any one's side right now. Rumor has that Superman is calling a Founders' meeting and the implications are substantial, but at this stage, their decision in part affects the future of the League aside from whatever retaliation that Cadmus is pushing towards right now.

The meeting last only a few minutes before the five still aboard the Watchtower announce their decision and then leave the defenses in the hands of the extended roster as well as the staffers.

[+++]

"Word is going around straight from the Monitor Hub that the Founders are turning themselves as some kind of an olive branch gesture, but somehow I have doubts that Batman would go along with that idea," says Huntress.

_You remain as sharp as ever Helena._

"At our last 'meeting', we both realized extreme measures were staring back at us from the near future including things like what I did and what he likely told you he was going to do like 'meet' with Waller. I don't think he'll reach her in time… they'll come after the League soon."

"You think they go that far?"

"I'd count on it…and Galatea is likely to be leading them too."

"The word is also going around that Supergirl has been left in 'charge' up here."

"That could work for and against the Watchtower as well as the Leaguers up here."

"How is that?"

"Put it this way…. Supergirl and Galatea are near equals with their Kryptonian powers except their psychologies are completely opposite plus Galatea didn't get to finish trying to kill Supergirl at their last encounter at Nuvo-Gen as someone set off the self-destruct…"

"The clone's looking for payback… she'll be acting like she's following orders, but she'll take it a lot further than that…"

"Plus if they slave the Ultimen army to Galatea's commands or worse her mind… then we are more trouble than the Watchtower is ready for... but this is not over, not by a long shot."

Outside Question's medical room, everyone is rushing about again faster than before too.

"Sometimes I really hate when you are right Q," grumbles Huntress.

"You think I never hate it too?" snorts Question.

"I think for the last week or so… I think you hated it so much that it made you want to die under Cadmus' heel."

Question can't stomach to answer mainly because his body hurts plenty still and the fact that she got him dead to rights as usual.

"Sometimes I hate being right… I swear there are times where we can read each other's minds."

"I wasn't telepathic the last time I checked…"

"Me neither…"

"I'm almost thinking Superman made the wrong call by going down there when they were coming up here for us."

This time he would have to disagree with her yet again.

"Perhaps… but right now I think we have problems of our own in-bound.

"What are you talking about? You mean Cadmus is going preemptive?"

Steel's voice comes in over the intra-station comlinks and with that the battle for the Watchtower begins, but the missiles are not meant to destroy the station, they are just hull busters to make breaches for the Ultimen. The breaches are also not random ones either because the fighting is already ongoing at the Monitor Hub, the Landing Bays, and the several vital junctures including corridors leading to the reactor room.

The battle in the Watchtower is no longer just about holding the fort, but stopping it from being blown up because frankly Question believes Galatea will not settle for anything less.

[+++]

Closed quarters fighting is the story all across the board even on the infirmary level. Huntress is firing away a squad of Ultimen minus a Long Shadow copy yet her shots are having no effect with the Wind Dragon copy using the wind to deflect her shots. The Juice copy electrically jumps away from the group except the second he rematerializes a bedpan connects with the back of his skull. Question is back in business, well almost, but even with a bedpan his aim is steady. Huntress grins just a bit at him except Wind Dragon is turning up the wind speed. An energy blast comes from behind them. Captain Atom is apparently not about to take this assault lying down either yet injuries are physically more severe than Question's

Both show little surprise whereas the Captain groans as if letting off that shot had taken more out of him than he expected as he flops back down. The lack of power is slowing down his ability to regenerate the damage to his containment suit, which made it vital to get power back otherwise Atom could die from the cracks in the suit. The damage he took during the fight with Superman is far more severe than the damage he took during the mission in China several months ago. He is too weak to fly away from the Watchtower to disperse the energy on his own unlike during the China mission where he only got a really wide rip yet could still fly away to release the energy without harming anyone.

Question goes to Atom's tilted metallic platform bed and at first Huntress seems unable to fathom why he would risk getting that close to a walking reactor except she forces herself to remember that there is a man in that suit too.

"Hold on Captain… power will be back online soon and we'll get you fixed… just hang on Nathan…" implores Question.

"You two should get out of here before my suit breaches… I won't have your deaths on my conscience" insists Atom.

"I'm not going anywhere, either power comes back online and we get you fixed up or power never comes back and whatever Galatea is up to gets us all killed soon enough."

"Then someone has to stop her!"

"I believe Supergirl is the only one up to that task right now."

"For all our sakes this time I hope you are right about Supergirl and power coming back because otherwise… we are all dead."

"I'd like to be right on that count instead of all the other times I have been right in the last few months especially during the last two weeks."

"I should have stopped what they were doing after I brought you in."

Huntress perks up at the word 'I brought you in'. She starts to grab Atom and get ready to finish what Superman had started during the breakout.

"Huntress…_Helena_… I am asking you to release him!"

"Why should I? He like the rest of those guards kept you there and let those nuts torture you!"

"I could tell he hated it from the start, he went along because they said knew things about Plastique… about _Betty_."

"This justifies what he did?"

"No, it does not Miss Bertinelli… but my prior associations with a known criminal and former government operative put me in a pickle… plus Eiling was all over my case about my oath to the USAF predating the League 'oath'," groans Atom.

"Eiling was also the head of the project that led him to him becoming Captain Atom."

"It is true ma'am. Betty was also my fiancée at the time, but our political leanings always put us at odds yet we made it work at least until this happen… it cost me her, it cost me my identity because as far as anyone else knows… Captain Nathaniel Adams is dead."

"Then how come Rockefeller still has your file?"

"Rockefeller is where I was stationed before I 'died' and where I lived on a base house with Betty until that time. She left after my presumed death and it was only recently that I started hearing stories about a villain named Plastique who by description alone bore a strong resemblance to her."

"Question told you about Task Force X?"

"Yes, but of course I also did recognize her among those four posing as staffers when that Annihilator weapon was stolen from the Vault… tried to shield her from the blast… didn't work out so well… after that she was spirited off the Watchtower."

"I searched for her to some extent even though my attention as you both know was latched onto Cadmus."

"I'm a patriot, but some things that were done even during my brief time in that clubhouse were dead wrong… my concerns now involve saving the League and finding Betty if she's still alive."

Huntress let go of him and pries off her mask with some sign of tears in her eyes.

"You are so willing to put your neck out for apparent strangers Mister Sage."

"Somebody has to, because not everyone else will Captain."

"Call me Nathaniel or Nathan."

"I'll consider it."

"More than I deserve…"

Atom's gaze drifts towards a somewhat teary eyed Helena Bertinelli.

"I know what you mean…"

Question's gaze is on her too. The Watchtower rumbles from below, something is happening in the reactor room with the generators, as for what, that remains uncertain and the battles continue all across the station as too. This battle is far from over.

* * *

A/N 1: Set during **Flashpoint** and **Panic In The Sky**. Unlike **Question Authority**, there are far less Question related scenes to work with so I instead chose to merge the ones from the two episodes. More of the action is on the ground during **Flashpoint** whereas **Panic In The Sky** is all aboard the Watchtower (not a pun on the song if you know what I mean).

A/N 2: Half of this one deals with the implications of the breakout and the firing of the binary gun. The other half deals with the assault on the Watchtower though in particular the scene where Huntress and Question get a covering shot from Captain Atom.

A/N 3: As for the back story I added in for Atom, its based on Atom's origin stories from the comics. The show only states he is a USAF officer and before looking into his origins I didn't know he had any ties to Eiling or Plastique, so I made use of that... they always seem to be retconning things in the comics too.

A/N 4: My reinterpreation of Captain Adams makes him a little more like his Watchmen inspired counterpart Dr. Manhattan in the sense that romantic relationships are impacted and decidedly hindered by him becoming Captain Atom.


	13. Routes

_The hour is almost up, the Watchtower is still in one piece, the League still alive, but the critical juncture approaches one can only hope Supergirl manages to derail Galatea's murderous intent. Even Batman did get to Waller, it won't change what Galatea is planning, only Supergirl can stop her._

The infirmary level starts lighting up again. All the wires and other attachments on Atom start charging up again. It looks like Supergirl did it.

"Looks like power is coming back online," remarks Atom.

Everything goes out again, it looks like Question might be wrong and they all might be dead in a matter of minutes or seconds. There would be no time to evacuate, no way to get away, and then the Founders would have all their deaths on their conscience, much worse than one hero's death. The fifty plus heroes and all the staffers aboard would be gone without a trace except raining metal in the night sky that burns up on its way down to the surface. Their deaths could be the thing to snap Superman, but right the three still in the infirmary struggle to believe it had something to do with Supergirl taking down Galatea, not the other way around.

* * *

Several minutes pass, nothing happens, and then the trio hears S.T.R.I.P.E's robotic voice over the inter-station comlink. Supergirl answers and there is some sighs of relief to follow before power starts to come back on again. A few minutes more pass before there is a request for Supergirl to come directly to the Monitor Hub.

"Sounds like something big is going down planet side, maybe they got a video feed or a broadcast coming in from the surface," suggests Huntress.

"One of us will have to stay with him though," reminds Question.

"You go, I'll stay with him until the med techs get here, go on, and I'll behave myself."

"I'm holding you to it."

Question at the least bothers with his pants, his orange socks, and his shoes before taking an auxiliary ladder shaft to the Monitor Hub. He made a point of knowing as much about the layout of the Watchtower II within days after setting up his quarters. The knowledge is paying off in unexpected ways right now. The infirmary level is several floors below the Monitor Hub, but for once in almost two weeks, he felt like he had a direction as a well purpose again after trying as well as failing to kill Luthor.

Luthor's fixation with immortality could be realized by an android construct to house his mind, but the motivations did not strike Question as entirely Luthor even with the immortality notion in mind. Something else is at work here, something as part of the hidden faction in this continuing conflict with Cadmus unless the Founders and Cadmus join forces against Luthor. The possibility had given a measure of hope, but it is still too earlier to be sure that such an alliance would transpire even under these circumstances yet strange times make for strange alliances.

[+++]

The news coverage is still on the binary gun firing event from over an hour ago yet there is a breaking story in Metropolis of all places. Some errant phone call had gotten several news stations as well as news papers to the streets nearest to Lexcorp. Several helicopters are also airborne as seen from rotating camera angles on the screens now functional again in the Monitor Hub. Question notices it as he enters the room yet sparingly takes note of the Ultimen copies out cold on the floor too. His attention reverts to the screens where the cameras are locking onto Superman who is pummeling away at what appears to be a half-man, half-machine. The individual he is fighting is not quite Luthor anymore nor is it the android Question felt certain Luthor had been building in secret.

* * *

Shayera hovers nearby holding Flash in her hands at least the speedster is still alive after this discovery much to Question's relief. Batman is dangling by a grappler while Wonder Woman floats close at hand as well. J'onn is also in flight while Lantern is out of sight, which means if they are all there then so must be Waller. If she was thrown clear of the windows after they were blown apart, someone would have to gone after her, probably Stewart, which a downward shot proves a few seconds later. As for Lexcorp, it is turning into some almost alien and the patterns being made in the structure by tentacles protruding from what used to be just Luthor, look almost Kryptonian to Question.

* * *

He spots recognition in Supergirl's stare as well.

_Brainiac had either been masquerading as Luthor or hidden a copy of himself inside Luthor except the untimely or timely arrival of the Founders with Waller offset his plan to transfer himself into the android, which means the android if it is done, is now gone.

* * *

_

Superman continues punching away at the amalgam entity Brainiac-Luthor, but Brainiac appears to have the upper hand down there. Superman is quickly bound up by tentacles that have grown out of the building and then other tentacles lash out at the other six. J'onn dodges it and Shayera with Flash flies over in the opposite direction from J'onn. Diana is waving, dodging, and punching her way through the tentacles. Flash is torn away from Shayera and soon enough even she cannot get away either even with the advantage of her mace.

The camera tracking Stewart shows him and Waller firing at the tentacles. His ring and her pulse gun are useless as well. Batman's tools are likewise ineffective and Diana is going after Superman except it gets her caught too. Superman burns his way out with heat vision and Shayera is still whacking away at the tentacles with the mace except the longer any of them fight, the more tentacles under Brainiac's control find ways to beat them. It binds Shayera's wrists preventing her from concentrating to charge the mace, which means she is out too.

The tentacles nearest to Stewart and Waller try to surround them completely except Stewart makes a sphere blast, which incinerates through them except more come as Waller turns him over. Stewart although stunned sees them going after Waller so he pushes her out the way enabling them to grab him instead. Brainiac now holds the seven within tentacles restraints. The cameras are too far away to pick whatever Brainiac is probably saying to them though Question can imagine he is ranting about how this is just part of his programming. Seven gray liquid polymer wires shoot out from Brainiac then latches onto the upper bodies of the seven heroes.

The painful cries and groans can be heard even at street level and on the cameras.

* * *

_Copy all so-called relevant data then destroy the originals is the company line for Brainiac. Flash undoubtedly might have a joke right now, but that won't do anything except give him a chuckle cut off by the tubules slamming into his flesh like it is already doing to the other six. I might not think him that funny, but I rather have the ability to think it rather than think with the mental kick that he is dead.

* * *

_

The Martian ever the telepath realizes the direness of what is happening now as he is probably feeling the emotions of the other six more intensely than anything else right now. There is a dual purpose when his defiant shout can be heard aloud to the many watching this scene whether from the Watchtower or from any screen viewing this battle in Metropolis.

* * *

_J'onn it is all on you to avert their deaths in this moment, I may find you annoying and we disagree yet right now you and I both know you all have to survive this.

* * *

_

J'onn phases through the tentacles and tubules before lunging at Brainiac-Luthor. The Martian moves with the speeds unseen in him before and he rips the tubules straight off the merged entity in front of him. The surprise is clear even the impassive look on Brainiac's face in Luthor's chest. The tubules dissolve off the other six then they all pull away with Superman shouldering Flash and Diana shouldering Batman. Shayera, Stewart, and J'onn keep their own holding patterns away from the transfiguring Lexcorp structure directly in front of them.

A super sized skull with Brainiac's emblem emerges from the shattering rooftop then starts attacking the city instead of the seven. Shayera flaps her away around the cascade of laser beams. The other four who can fly follow Shayera's lead by attacking the floating skull and it already appears to be giving way to the attack, which means to Question that this is a diversion so that the real target can slip away. However it is important to shut that flying menace down even if it is a trick. Stewart blasts out the laser eyes then falls back into formation with Superman to slice it in half.

More explosions follow as the skull plummets to street level and the cameras trail the heroes to the wreckage. Batman and Flash are there first as the others scan the skies to be certain there are no other floating attackers out there. Question is certain that Batman would reach the same conclusion he did about the Brainiac skull. Someone other than Superman would suggest that as a retort that this must be the wrong fight, which in itself is actually true though it would occur to the speaker after they said it, not before. As for Superman, he would conclude that Batman is right and now they would have to work out where Brainiac would go to recover from the damage because as durable as the machine was before, he's still sharing a body with Luthor.

[+++}

Metropolis' SCU and other emergency services go on full deployment because while individuals like Emil Hamilton may have lost faith in Superman, there are still plenty in the city that still hold Superman and the League in high regards. The story is getting out now to some degree that Luthor and the villain known as Brainiac had something to do with binary gun firing on New Mexico yet nobody is letting the League off the hook for the binary gun's existence either. The former bears the responsibility to using the gun while the latter retains the blame for having it. However many realize for the moment, the priority is stopping Brainiac-Luthor as some are beginning to think of the two as being right now. The seven plus Waller likely conclude that they will be going after the Dark Heart remains kept at the new Cadmus R&D facility in D.C.

* * *

The extent of the damages to Watchtower and the Javelins means that whoever is on the ground are on their own.

J'onn put out the Omega Level Alert, but even at top speed nobody except for the seven are close enough to Washington.

The military and the media are watching as well as waiting for the Justice League to save the world again (as usual). Their trust is on the rocks, but they struggle to have faith that the seven can stop the end of world like they have done before. Brainiac-Luthor is quicker than expected yet things always get worse before they get better, though this time around there might not be a better waiting for them at the end of this particular route. A camera crew gets close, but they are keeping their distance for safety. Question quickly dashes over to the monitors' control console then starts working to enhance the view so that they almost right at the scene imaging.

_We may not be down there with you in body, but the least we can do is bear witness as the world hangs in the balance with only the seven of you to tip the scales._

* * *

Shayera is flung backwards from a blast then at first Seven Brainiac type androids rise up from the ground then almost as immediately as they appear something shape shifts their appearance…

_The Justice Lords except there never was a Lorder Flash… this is Luthor's idea of a sick joke._

Each Justice Lord cybernetic duplicate attacks their flesh and blood counterpart. Undoubtedly more than a few had choice taunts for their real counterparts. As Question watches all his mind alternates between this on-going fight and the tapes of the prison fight several years ago that involved the real Justice Lords minus a Flash. Things again start off against the seven yet they had to plow through this in order to stop the real threat. The taunts are doing the mind jobs already except there is a difference when viewing Flash against Lorder Flash.

* * *

_Your first mistake as a combined villain was pitting Flash against himself. He has fears like the rest of them, but he is not just the fastest man alive… there is more to him than that moniker.

* * *

_

Flash's entire right arm phases through Lorder Flash and there it is, the key to beating them is they are not meant to do anything except to be the delaying tactic. A move they perhaps mistakenly believe will afford them a window of opportunity to finish the device that will absorb or download all that Brainiac considers relevant to know of Earth before destroying the planet. The amount of information that Brainiac had absorbed since Krypton's destruction had only done one thing made him a slave to its collection and to the singular purpose of destroying the universe.

* * *

_Universal destruction in his twisted thinking means that he alone would possess the knowledge and then his task would be done, but then he never had AMAZO's cerebral dilemma.

* * *

_

The dilemma as well as the confusion it wrought within AMAZO's mind had made the machine more than a machine, given the machine the pangs of brooding, of contemplation, of Ivo's intentions in creating him. AMAZO had more in common with the creature in Mary Shelley's _Frankenstein_ whereas Brainiac had more in common with the A.I. in Isaac Asimov's _I, Robot_ short story anthology. The A.I. that decides in order to fulfill its primary function it must destroy in order to preserve whereas Brainiac seeks to preserve then destroy while the actions are opposites, the ends are similar at least for comparison in Question's mind.

* * *

Flash's ability to manipulate and vibrate molecules causes Lorder Flash to contort partially back to his liquid state before exploding due to molecular disintegration then the robot duplicate explodes hurdling Flash several feet away. Flash's mouth move, which means the blast, did not kill him thankfully. Question sighs loud enough for everyone to hear him at least near the communications console. Supergirl pats him gently on the back with a sympathetic smile on her face because many are allowing slight gestures to indicate that things however dire do not keep out flickering bright spots.

* * *

The camera shifts to Batman who likely upon seeing how Flash got rid of his robot duplicate found a quicker way to destroy the Lorder Batman duplicate. Batman throws a few exploding batarangs, one lodges in the robot's cowl and the other two impact where a human shoulder blade would be, and the horror surprisingly shows on the robot's face for a few seconds. Lorder Batman disappears in a fireball less than five seconds later when the exploding batarangs go off.

The camera moves away from Batman towards Superman who is still at with Lorder Superman and Superman has not quite finished him off as both Flash as well as Batman had just done only moments ago. The punches stop just after Superman plows Lorder Superman into part of the power generator. Superman steps back almost as if something caught him off guard yet for a split second everyone can see that Lorder Superman briefly had become the still human looking Luthor before switching yet as he lunges Diana's lasso pulls him away.

Diana made some kind of a joke, humor is about the only thing left to take the edge at least presently, and so they swap robotic counterparts. Question would have to compliment Diana for that later, a clever tactic, but could he expect less from someone of her combat finesse, the answer is a rhetorical no. The camera pulls over in the direction of Stewart as Lorder Hawkgirl comes flying right at him yet she is not fast enough to dodge the ring construct of an oversize mallet, which Stewart uses to pound the robot into dust, again too easy a killing move.

Shayera definitely teases him about it, but then lip reading is somewhat less accurate even for Question watching this from the Watchtower Monitor Hub. Lorder Green Lantern thinks he can sneak up on them in the middle of a chit-chat, but again wrong as Shayera smashes the robot's head clean off. Nobody could see Stewart's expression yet it is quite plausible he looked more than surprised at her clean slash across the robot's neck, which led to the head flying off.

The view pans back to Superman against Lorder Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman against Lorder Superman. The two slam duplicates get flung at each and erupt in flames on collision. All watching from the Hub let loose in cheers and even Question felt him smiling from behind the mask as Huntress and Atom come up behind him.

* * *

"I'm glad you were right this time babydoll," sighs Huntress.

"As I am Mr. Sage," remarks Captain Atom.

Atom while not back to tip top shape is still looking better by far, but the med techs are staying close at hand just in case though they allow the trio some privacy.

Everyone's attention is drawn back to the screen as the seven prepare to rush Brainiac-Luthor head on.

* * *

The sphere surrounding Brainiac-Luthor glows then pours out several beams of energy, very precise aiming, and Superman is hit then thrown backwards first. Next to be hit is J'onn, then Stewart, and after them is Shayera. Batman is thrown back after her and Flash keeps going once he picks up speed. The single shot blasts keep missing him, which causes a collective whispering from everyone hoping Flash can close the distance in time.

Brainiac-Luthor shifts to a continuous beam, which means Flash will have to go faster than usual except the beam path is leading him to taking the longer way to the sphere. He is maintaining speed except as he draws near the arc of the beam is shorter allowing for an even more precise continuous beam path. The shot finally lands knocking Flash to the ground, a mixture of gasps, groans, and grunts fill the Monitor Hub almost immediately after the speedster goes down for the second time as he like the others appear to still be alive. The beams still to have only been set for a high stun setting.

* * *

_Someone is missing and they will see it a moment so where are you Diana?

* * *

_

The Javelin is hurdling at high velocity towards the structure surrounding the sphere. The aim, the speed, and quite possibly the power source of the Javelin could cause the structure to implode outward yet as it does in a show of anger, Brainiac-Luthor blasts Diana out of the sky. She hits the pavement harder not far from where Batman had fallen from the blast that knocked him out. The structure crumbles all around the sphere yet the sphere shield protects its maker. The view is momentary blacked out by the dust rising from the structure's collapse.

* * *

Question grips the console unable to do anything except stare waiting for it to clear yet when it does everyone sees Brainiac-Luthor standing over Flash with a shot gun. It is an artificially created gun yet just as lethal as the real thing for after all a bullet is made from liquid metal anyway. At the same time, the simulation video of Luthor killing Flash causes Question to shudder and so it seems they have more than just Atom to worry about right now in this room.

"What's wrong baby?" asks Huntress softly.

"It is… happening… I thought they could…" quivers Question.

"Oh god, he is right…," gasps Huntress.

"Flash will find a way out of it… you have to believe… you made me believe," reassures Atom.

"C'mon Question, you saw how Flash beat that cheap imitation of himself," pips Supergirl.

Everyone waits either for Flash to die or for him to defy the route that rises in front of him like the gun barrel before his very eyes. His arms vibrate depolarizing the false soldiers holding him down. The shot gun dissolves and Flash rises to his feet yet still the mood is dark even up here. He turns around and runs away from the man who just tried to kill him to end the world. At first there is hope then there is fear as well as confusion, and what is left if Flash flees while the others lie at the mercy of a planet killer?

* * *

_He is up to something, he knows a head on fight is a death sentence, and his only power is speed.

* * *

_

The camera shifts towards a blur coming from the other direction, it is mostly red, and then the cheers resume knowing that Flash did not run away to flee, he had run away to speed his way around the world, to go faster. The blur slams into Brainiac-Luthor and then they see the golden armor had been torn clear off one of the combined villain's arms. Another blur follows less than a minute later and with it more of the armor is torn off exposing part of the upper body. Flash runs faster and faster each time as well as peeling away more of the armor with each collision.

His velocity exceeds anyone's ability to see him though they can see Brainiac-Luthor stumbling more and more each time. The villain goes tumbling one last time and just under half the armor is gone exposing the Luthor's still human skin under as well as the wiring crisscrossing the human flesh.

There is a current running through Flash's costume as he comes to a stop less than a short dash from the fallen villain. Brainiac-Luthor attempts to fight back yet Flash gives no quarter as he pins him to the pavement. Flash's fists moving at superhuman speeds phases through what remains of the armor on the Brainthor's shoulders and vibrates it away just as he had done with those laps around the world. One can hear the villain's screams and all the debris both from the pavement as well as the disintegrating armor blow around the two like a whirlwind, which blows back against all the other wreckage nearby. The unconscious six are starting to rise from the ground in time to witness the bravest thing Flash had ever done in his life.

There is no way for the six to safely close the distance so all they can do is watch and maybe even pray that Flash succeeds without their fears gaining realization in Brainthor's defeat. The air turns a super luminous blue and dark blue bolts shoot away from them as the pavement continues to crumble around the center of where Flash is battling Brainthor. The air flows faster with each passing second until a muffling boom drowns out all noise except the boom. The screen goes grayish black instead of black yet they like the six are left to wait for the dust to settle before discerning the fates of their friend and their enemy.

Luthor is half visible from the hole in the road with no visible traces of Brainiac still on his skin while Flash stands there with the charge still around his costume.

Flash went well beyond a velocity that he thought possible yet he had won though as goes to rejoin the six, his whole body starts to vibrate out of existence as if he had just died… _died_ to save the world.

There is an indescribable demeanor on the faces of the six and even the camera angle goes wobbly probably because the camera man or woman is bursting into tears. Plenty watching in the Hub break out into tears too and Atom shoulders Supergirl. Huntress herself begins to cry because what Flash… what Wally West had done is the most moving as well as heart wrenching scene any of them had ever seen in their lives.

* * *

_Flash is dead by defeating Brainthor except Luthor still lives, which means Armageddon could still happen… unless Superman heeded my advice from earlier today. Superman, don't make Flash's death meaningless now.

* * *

_

Superman is the first to recoil back from the shock as Luthor starts to climb out of the hole in the pavement and definitely gloating about Flash's demise. Superman seizes Luthor by the throat and pulls into the air. There is no mistaking the fact that the Man of Steel's eyes are glowing to the point that he would use heat vision to kill Luthor.

"Clark!" yells Kara.

Question had known her real name for about as long as he had known Superman's real name, but as usual he thought of most by costume names when he is in costume yet right now it is not about costumes, this is about people and the fate of those people. Diana tries to intercept the attempt except Bruce blocks her path as if sensing what Question had thought himself not long ago, which is that only Superman can decide whether to kill or not. Everyone almost holds their breath as another eternity passes before Superman's eyes revert and he lowers Luthor to the ground.

A roomful of sighs follow as Superman tells Luthor off presumably.

Five of the six turn their attention to J'onn who is pressing one hand to his forehead and it appears something else is going now besides deciding what to do about Luthor. Shayera's hand reaches out to deceptively vacant looking air next to her just before a vortex opens, a vortex of the same color as the energy that had been used by Flash to defeat Brainthor. The camera catches the shadow of the contortions on her face as if she is imploring to the vortex.

* * *

"Could it be?" wonders Question.

"What are you thinking Q?" probes Huntress cautiously.

"Flash never showed this ability before so we have no way of knowing if it did fully kill him to use it," responds Question.

"You mean he could still be?" asks Huntress.

"Maybe…"

* * *

Shayera is grabbing onto something within the vortex.

_**"No, Wally, take my hand!"**_ cries Shayera.

The vortex's gravity is pulling her inward yet then John Stewart grabs her arm.

_**"I'm here too Wally!"**_ yells John.

J'onn, Superman, and Diana follow suit forming an anchor in the pavement.

_**"We are all here!"**_ shouts Superman.

Diana's head tilts back towards Batman when probably feeling his gloved grip on her forearm and the camera catches a slight surprise in her gaze yet this is the bond of the seven whether they admit to themselves or to others, it remains with them. It is straining them all to keep pulling, but they have to if they want Flash… want _Wally_ back.

The familiar red fabric of Flash's costume starts to emerge from the orifice of the vortex then he fully comes out with a slight stretch from the molecular bend of the black hole effect. He collapses to the ground in Shayera's embrace and John walks over kneeling next to his best friend. The looks of concerns do not diminish yet Wally speaks weakly about something though it is hard to tell what exactly. Shayera nuzzles his head against hers and John's gently grips Wally's shoulder.

They all start smiling again as they saved the world and their world… their _Wally_.

* * *

The tears of sadness are turning into tears of joy as Supergirl hugs Atom and she is not the only one going around for hugs right now. Atom likewise expresses signs of relief that they beat the bad guy and got Wally back.

Question collapses in sweat into Huntress' arms and the world goes starts to go black on him.

_Armageddon averted… Helena safe… Flash still lives… Luthor stopped… world safe again._

"Medic!" shouts Huntress.

* * *

A/N 1: **Divided We Fall**, there is much I could say for this episode, but the episode speaks for itself in volumes. ** Divided We Fall **on a character level struck me in much the same way as **Apokolips... Now II** had done on first as well as repeated viewings. I pair them together in my mind because in both instances one man made a difference even though Wally survived where Dan died.

A/N 2: One is left reeling as Superman appears ready to kill like his Lorder counterpart did yet he didn't... he didn't succumb and then there is a heart wrenching release that Wally can still be saved. The six in the most emotional scene of the episode anchor to pull him back to their world... to them.

A/N 3: Wally sounded ready to die except they disagreed in a way similar to how I wrote Huntress as unwilling to leave Question to the fate he believed he got for going after Luthor alone.

A/N 4: There are almost no Watchtower scenes in **Divided We Fall**, so most of this chapter is made up except for the battle scenes, those are from the episode, the scenes are how I imagine the characters react to seeing the fights, particularly the second in regards to Flash... to _Wally_.

A/N 5: How Question reconfigured the monitors to show them all this... well it takes them being able to see the news broadcasts a couple steps further because after all its been implied that the Watchtower II has plenty of sophisticated hardware built into it.


	14. Eyes

"_Fortune and love favor the brave." - Ovid

* * *

_

The turnout at the League press conference less than a day after Earth's latest brush with Armageddon is almost unbelievable, but today would be a turning point in costumes history or so Question might put it if he were here to see it. His collapse in the Monitor Hub had given her the newest scare of her life because she had not gone through the depths of Cadmus just to lose him only moments after the Founders beat Brainthor. Huntress had to admit inwardly like so many others that they had come back from the brink more so then ever before and because of the heroics of Flash.

Notable reporters in media and in print are on hand though she did her best to avoid contact with Jimmy Olsen who is often found in the company of Lois Lane. She felt awkward still for having used him to bait Superman for help even though that suggestion had come from Batman and Batman had a tendency to know things like that almost as well as Question. The costumes start mixing in with the civilians. Many civilians in attendance are Watchtower staffers, emergency personnel, and the already noted media personalities.

The Seven take the stage and all eyes are on them as though expecting some further life altering moment to overtake them.

It is a visually beautiful day and the grass is unusually greener this day as well. Huntress for a long time did not believe that such expressions like the grass is greener on the other side had any merit, but then she was not totally thinking of that right now. She just thought it looks so engaging yet her attention is also drawn to Superman who is speaking on behalf of the League.

"This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do…"

One would wonder how anything else in the last few weeks or months had not been harder than this. She could count on Question to ramble something about that justice belongs to the people who entrust the world to watchers except who watches the watchers?

"I am guilty. We are guilty of the sin of hubris. We had the best of intentions, to be Earth's guardians, to keep you safe, but we failed you. We look down on the world from our tower in the sky and let our power and responsibilities separate us from the very people we were suppose to protect…."

The League's future beyond this conference is perhaps something Superman and the other six are deciding is in their hands anymore because Question had struck a nerve when rattling Superman about the Founders behavior since the roster expansion earlier this year. The conflict between Cadmus and the League almost destroyed the planet.

"No one should ever be afraid… for that reason we are decommissioning the Watchtower. The energy weapon up there is already gone and we are taking down the station as well."

Fear never goes away yet it meets its opposite in the vibrant though fragile hopes.

Plenty in the crowd look up with sadness and surprise as if these are not the words they were expecting to hear after such an honest confession from Superman of all people.

"There is more, we want to thank the members of the Justice League for your courageous service, but in the future, you'll all have to act as independent agents. We are not going to be an army anymore. As of right now we are disbanding the Justice League…"

Superman steps back as if ending the conference yet then many hear someone objecting from the crowd. Huntress tilts her head recognizing the voice all too well considering how she and Question fought him and Black Canary during her attempt to kill Mandragora. She had not been totally aware of Arrow's objections to being a part of the League despite having been there the day he was brought up by Green Lantern.

It was also on that day that she had her first brief encounter with Question.

This conference also marks the second time this many of the League are together in one place and somberly she notes tragedy always a crowd yet if Arrow's objections mean anything then maybe it is not such a tragedy after all.

The seven heroes halt their departure from the stage as all ears and eyes turn to Green Arrow.

"Says who? You remember what we did yesterday? We saved the world – again. You don't think that has any value, well think again, pal. The Justice League goes on, with or without you. Look, nobody can question your service or commitment to making things better. If you're quitting because you think you've already done your fair share, fine, we'll throw you a parade. But if you're quitting because it's easier than continuing the fight, then you're not the heroes we all thought you were. The world needs the Justice League, and the Justice League needs you, Superman."

_Way to put them on call Arrow,_ _but I'd expect no less, same goes for Question if he were here._

Cheers and clapping follow Arrow's stirring response to Superman's declarations. Arrow shrugs and looks like he did not expect such a positive feedback from the crowd, but the audience here agrees with Arrow. As for the six standing behind Superman on stage, only five clap, she did not expect Batman to clap, he makes one of his famous smiling nods and Lois in the midst of clapping gives Superman a reassuring stare too.

Superman raises his arms as if to calm the crowd as he prepares to retract some of his earlier statements. There is talk of opening a planet based embassy and the logistics thereto.

Batman prepares to make one of his typical disappearing exits and Wonder Woman gives him one of those 'I know why you are stepping out' looks though her words cover her actual meaning.

Black Canary climbs on to her motorcycle and then pulls on her helmet yet Arrow is busy for a moment with Batman.

"_Quis custodiet ipsos custodies_?" comments Batman.  
"Who guards the guardians?" We've got it covered," responds Arrow.

Huntress silently listens though suspects Batman knows she is eavesdropping though he appears not to mind. As for Arrow, he is off somewhere with Canary yet now Huntress' thoughts shift back to Question… to _Vic_.

The med techs had given her full assurance that they would keep under sedation since if he were awake nobody could be quite sure what he would do or what he might remember of the past several days.

* * *

She slowly walks back to where she parked her motorcycle and found that Batman appears to have parked not far from her bike. There is some noise coming from beneath the Batmobile's retractable dashboard window though Diana is still over in the field with the Leaguers so who is in the Batmobile with Batman?

Huntress saunters over and just then the window slides forward revealing Batman glaring at Question.

"Now get out of the vehicle _Question_," implores Batman.

"You still didn't take my advice about getting better locks on everything _Batman_," jokes Question.

The noise draws Wonder Woman's attention to the scene and she flies over to find Huntress watching the two bicker some more.

"What is going on Huntress?" queries Wonder Woman.

"Q snuck into the Batmobile and…" replies Huntress.

"And Batman is quite unhappy about that," laughs Wonder Woman.

"You betcha _Diana_," continues Huntress.

"_Bruce_ told me about you _Helena_ and _Kal_ did mention how you did bait him for help to recover Question from Cadmus. I'd have to say it was a curious turn to see you going beyond yourself to save another, but then there was also chatter about you and Question pairing off to recapture Mandragora."

"No doubt _Ollie_ and _Dinah_ had plenty to say about us showing up at the same time that Mandragora's lackeys sprung him from Faraday's safe house. Mandragora and I have history…"

"History?" probes Diana.

"Violent history," answers Helena.

Helena is not eager to revisit the memories.

* * *

Diana walks over to the Batmobile and as if suspecting one or the other would tell him to get out of the car, Question excuses himself without a word. Diana hops over into the Batmobile after Question gets out and the retractable dashboard window slides back into place then the Batmobile backs up before turning around to drive back to Gotham.

"I take it that Superman tried to disband the League," says Question.

"Yeah he did that, but Arrow made his objections known immediately," responds Huntress.

Question looks worse for wear even with the mask, she had seen his face and gotten closer than she expected to the man behind both the mask and the face.

"I did not expect him to take that stand, but events of late had made us all reassess everything that these costumes represent as well as the purpose that drives us when we wear them."

She pulls him towards her to make sure this is still him, that he is still with her and she is not imagining all of this.

"Can we leave the costumes out of it for awhile if you don't mind? I'm tired, so tired, and I have already been scared to death enough this week or even in the last twenty four hours too," sighs Huntress.

Tears well in her eyes as she almost pleads with him, she rarely pleads with anyone, and he merely nods then gestures to her bike. She smiles slightly then climbs aboard and he is riding behind her.

* * *

"I'm staying here tonight," murmurs Vic.

"You better believe it baby," whispers Helena.

The beauty of sunset is all the more lovely to not view it alone as she had viewed plenty that way until she met him. Likewise all nights she spent without his company, his wit, his faceless mask, and all the other qualities she had seen in him, it made her long for him. She is not a needy woman yet a woman in love as she had found out will do things she never thought she do to hold onto that love especially in her case since she had not loved anyone in the way she loves Vic for most of her life. The only other people she loved to this degree yet not in this way were her parents.

She kisses him on the lips to remind herself that she got him back though his mind likely still swims through the effects of Moon's interrogations and tortures. She almost did kill Moon as well as Captain Atom though Question's safety deflects her from harming either of the two. Helena saw the impracticality of killing him as well as feeling some sympathies for his estrangement from Betty.

She runs her fingertips through Vic's red hair and kisses him some more. He is likewise being overly affectionate, which prompts further affection on her part towards him.

"Care for another movie night?" suggests Vic.

"What movie did you have in mind?" asks Helena.

"I was thinking we should watch _Sabrina_," answers Vic.

"The original or the remake?" pips Helena.

"The original… I know you are a Bogart fan even though plenty often wonder why he got cast into such roles… but enough speculative talk… it is movie time."

Vic thumbs through the Bogart section of her DVD library and finds it almost exactly where he remembers seeing it the last time he briefly saw the movie library. He puts the disc into the DVD player and she catches the remote after he tosses it to her. It had been a long time since she thought about watching this movie again, but Vic had awoken things in her that she never she feel again.

* * *

"_**Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. The estate was very large indeed and had many servants."**_

The Larrabees' Long Island manor and surrounding grounds remind Helena of her parents' mansions, but unlike Sabrina she was not a servant's daughter, she was a crime boss' daughter. These days she had no illusions about being a daughter of a wealthy couple who held such prestige in name alone.

"_**There were gardeners to take care of the gardens, and a tree surgeon on a retainer. There was a boatman to take care of the boats: to put them in the water in the spring, and scrape their bottoms in the winter. There were specialists to take care of the grounds: the outdoor tennis court and the indoor tennis court, the outdoor swimming pool and the indoor swimming pool. And there was a man of no particular title who took care of a small pool in the garden for a goldfish named George." **_

She remembers her household's staff whether it was her nursemaid in her earliest memories or the chauffeur who in retrospect to her now seems a great deal like the Larrabees' chauffeur. The man was a very kind soul; he occasionally let her ride in the cars on his lap, and once or twice put his hat on her head. It made for cute and giggle worthy memories. She did giggle in a low tone as Sabrina's narration drifts towards her own history.

"_**Also on the estate, there was a chauffeur by the name of Fairchild, who had been imported from England, years ago, together with a new Rolls Royce. Fairchild was a fine chauffeur of considerable polish, like the eight cars in his care, and he had a daughter by the name of Sabrina. It was the eve of the annual six meter yacht races, and as had been tradition on Long Island for the past 30 years, the Larrabees were giving a party. It never rained on the night of the Larrabee party, the Larrabees wouldn't have stood for it."**_

She recalls that chauffeur hardly spoke of his own family, but then many who did work for her father kept their personal histories to themselves though she had seen some photos yet never ask him about it despite her own curiosity. He eventually spoke of his late wife and his sons who all were grown up and working in the city. He sounded proud of them and believed their mama would be proud of them too.

"_**There were four Larrabees in all: father, mother and two sons. Maude and Oliver Larrabee were married in nineteen hundred and six and among their many wedding presents was a townhouse in New York and this estate for weekends. The town house has since been converted into Saks Fifth Avenue." **_

Her parents kept other residences, but the one that reminded her most of the Larrabees' Long Island place was her favorite yet with a heart wrenching twist it was also the place where they were killed when she was eight. She pushes the memory down to regain her focus on the movie and the feel of Vic's arms around her waist, he felt so warm even with the cool from the breeze passing through the window.

"_**Linus Larrabee, the elder son, graduated from Yale, where his classmates voted him the man Most Likely to Leave his Alma Mater Fifty Million Dollars. His brother, David, went through several of the best eastern colleges for short periods of time, and through several marriages for even shorter periods of time. He is now a successful six-goal polo player, and is listed on Linus's tax return as a six hundred dollar deduction. Life was pleasant among the Larrabees, for this was as close to heaven as one could get on Long Island."**_

Helena knows little of Vic's past or his family, but he'll tell her when he feels ready, she is not in the mood to be pushy about it, just being with him and watching movies is plenty for tonight, her own little slice of paradise is right here on this wrap around sofa.

"_**You know, it's not every girl that's lucky enough to go to Paris."**_

"_**I know."**_

"_**And it's the best cooking school in the world, Sabrina."**_

_Sabrina hides perhaps blush in the words of pride coming from her father._

"_**If your mother were alive she'd be very happy to know you were going there."**_

_She looks further away wistfully knowing he would be even more boastful about Mama's cooking skills, saying she was the best in Long Island… she had no cause to disagree with him about her mama._

"_**I'm not telling you that you have to be a cook as she was or that I want you to marry a chauffeur like me, but you know how I feel about it. Your mother and I had a good life together. We were respected by everyone. That's as much as anyone can want in this world. Don't reach for the moon, child."**_

_At first it looks like Sabrina would be going to Paris yet changes her mind then tries to kill herself by flooding the garage with carbon monoxide by turning all the cars on. In a dark humor moment, one of the older cars starts rumbling too much, it goes quiet after she shushes at it, and soon the gas starts to wear her down until she almost passes out. At that exact moment, then Linus bursts into the garage calling out for her father, but she knows he is upstairs sleeping; it wouldn't do to be caught doing this by Linus of all people._

Helena thinks back to how Vic had known things about her and kept her from killing her parents' murderer knowing it would cost her more than the hollow satisfaction of killing him. Somehow he had known in some way that perhaps she did not want to kill the fat man, just like Linus perhaps without truly knowing it had seen that Sabrina was not out to kill herself.

_Sabrina concocts a plausible excuse for being in here with the engines on and Linus does look a fright about her. He gets her out though quickly enough she passes out and he has to carry her back upstairs. They chat, he chides her, she refrains from revealing where she knows Gretchen is when Linus mentions he has to drive to Gretchen's mother home, and he departs with a parting warning about cars.

* * *

_

_Time flies in Paris, it is clear that Sabrina has not lost her affections for David, and cooking remains a struggle for her. Winter eventually comes to Paris and the students at the cooking school are in the midst of cooking soufflé _

"_**A woman happily in love, she burns the soufflé. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven,"**__ comments Baron St. Fontanel._

_Baron is clearly a perceptive sort, but cooks of his caliber always notice these things. He also takes it upon himself to introduce to her fashion among other things, excuses to wear dresses and cause eye ogling, a sweet old man indeed. Sabrina eventually graduates though when she returns to Long Island, she looks like a completely different woman, and laughingly David is the one to pick her up, totally clueless to her identity. Sabrina named her furry little companion of dog David too. As the drive continues, David probes for her identity almost certain that he does recognize her._

Helena always got a kick out of her leading him on despite all his guesses, she give hints, but very vague ones.

_The household staffers turn out in joys to welcome her back and the realization hits clueless David like a sack of bricks. Her father arrives seconds later and a loving reunion for the Fairchild pair too. She returns overconfident that things would work out between her and David. Mr. Fairchild and Linus both the contrary is waiting to give her a reality check._

_David at the party is hardly paying much attention to his fiancée's chatter about the wedding and the honeymoon. Mr. Larrabee hides a cigar behind his back on the way to the library where Linus is keeping the rest of the men here company with the latest Larrabee product, a flexible plastic tabletop. _

Vic probably had something to say about it, but says nothing, and he is often so quiet with movies as Helena had seen when they watched _The Maltese Falcon_ almost a month ago.

_David stops moving once catching sight of Sabrina's evening dress, sure he acts like he is getting married, but he has Sabrina on the brain. He is also not the only man's head she's got turning and the women they are with are clearly hiding fumes about this. David looks for a way to separate himself from Elizabeth, but she is sticking to him. No chance of getting away until making an intentional collision with another couple who are drinking champagne presumably, clever though easily seen distraction._

_David is quick to bypass the other men flocking to Sabrina and knowing she has made her pick, the pack breaks up. Mrs. Larrabee and Mrs. Tyson notice that he is no longer dancing with Elizabeth so Tyson breaks off to look for her daughter.

* * *

_

_The servants are all chattering about it and naturally Tom Fairchild is up in arms that this is not a good turn despite how positive everyone else sounds about it. Back outside Mrs. Larrabee is sizing Sabrina up, trying to find out if this dance and anything else is going to affect the impending wedding. After the chat she goes straight to her husband and he goes over to Linus to send him to cover Elizabeth when she returns to the patio. Linus once dancing with Elizabeth already sees that David is up to his old tricks except with Sabrina this time._

_Linus intercepts him on the way out and takes him to their father. The older and the younger bicker until Linus offer to compromise yet it stops short when David sits down crushing the glasses in his back pockets. Linus heads off with another bottle and two glasses to the indoor tennis court where Sabrina still waits for David. The two talk amicably and Sabrina looks rather happy that he is consenting to her romance with David. There is notice that this could be a family ploy to persuade her away from David yet still Linus is trying to be something of a gentleman to her, so it leads to them dancing after a drink._

_The doctor is prying glass fragments from David's hips and the song playing is from the night Sabrina left to go to Paris._

_Linus and Sabrina continue to dance then Linus kisses Sabrina after saying the kiss is from David. Her reaction to kiss is a surprise and again he jests all in the family.

* * *

_

_The following morning, the Larrabee brothers chat about Sabrina as well as the wedding in relation to the families. David is so praising of Linus and Linus, the usually collected one of the two starts to look uneasy because of his own feelings despite his readiness to help David. Elizabeth shows up moments later ready to play Scrabble so that is Linus' cue to make for the exit. The father gauges the situation through Linus and Linus reveals his plan to distract Sabrina away from David. The plan is taking her sailing and Linus is bringing along his college phonograph.

* * *

_

_It is a beautiful afternoon on the water and the breeze is enough to pull the yacht along without much maneuvering, which is how Linus might prefer it in this situation. Linus unlike David had noticed her before and now even he could probably admit she is an attractive woman. She still talks of David, Linus gives her the brief, and then she switches the records after the song ends. She comments the dust though reassures him that it is not him and that she is having a good time with him._

"_**Sabrina," **__says Linus quietly._

"_**Yes?" **__answers Sabrina gently._

"_**Do you mind if we turn this off?"**_

"_**Why?**__" questions Sabrina._

"_**Because,"**__ insists Linus._

"_**Don't you like it?" **_

"_**I used to like it."**_

_Sabrina shuts off the phonograph and slides the record back into its sleeve._

"_**Certain songs bring back certain memories to me too. Did you love her?" **__probes Sabrina._

"_**I'd rather not talk about it," **__retorts Linus._

"_**I'm sorry," **__apologizes Sabrina._

"_**That's all right," **__responds Linus._

"_**It's so strange to think of you being touched by a woman. I always thought you walked alone."**_

"_**No man walks alone from choice."

* * *

**_

Helena starts seeing more of Linus in Vic and Vic in Linus. She kisses his cheek and Vic strokes her hair.

* * *

"_**As a child I used to watch you, from the window over the garage. Coming and going, always wearing your black homburg and carrying a briefcase and an umbrella. I thought you could never belong to anyone. Never care for anyone," **__comments Sabrina._

"_**Oh yes, the cold businessman behind his marble desk, way up in his executive suite. No emotions, just ice water in his veins and ticker tape coming from his heart. And yet... one day that same cold businessman, high up in a skyscraper, opens a window, steps out on a ledge... stands there for three hours wondering... if he should jump,"**__ remarks Linus._

"_**Because of her?" **__queries Sabrina._

"_**No. No, that was another woman. Sabrina, do you find it hard to believe that someone might want to blot out everything for sentimental reasons?" **__asks Linus._

"_**Oh I believe it! Do you know what I almost did for sentimental reasons? I..."**_

_A pause interrupts the flow of words from Sabrina yet she confesses why she truly went to Paris. She did enjoy the travel, the cooking, but the lasting comfort is the temporary emotional amnesia._

"_**I went to Paris to blot it out," **__sighs Sabrina._

_The conversation turns more personal with each exchange of words._

"_**Maybe you should go to Paris, Linus. It helped me. Have you ever been there?"**_ _asks Sabrina._  
_**"**__**Oh yes. Once. For thirty-five minutes,"**__ answers Linus._  
_**"**__**Thirty-five minutes?"**__ pips Sabrina.  
__**"**__**Changing planes. I was on my way to Iraq on an oil deal,"**__ responds Linus.  
__**"**__**Oh, but Paris isn't for changing planes, it's for changing your outlook! For throwing open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose,"**__ continues Sabrina.  
__**"**__**Paris is for lovers. Maybe that's why I stayed only thirty-five minutes,"**__ murmurs Linus. _

_Sabrina believes she is in love with David, Linus' younger brother, the yacht ride is a turning point. After their return to shore, they part company and Sabrina chats with her father, almost speaking affectionately of Linus. _

[+++]

_The next morning during Fairchild's routine drive to the Linus Industries, he sizes up Linus' intentions towards Sabrina, and merely concedes that he hopes Linus handles as well as knows what he is doing in regards to Sabrina. _

Helena always thought Tom Fairchild only wants her to be happy and safe though the two are not mutually exclusive in her life.

_Sabrina gets the real floor show and hears more about why he did not jump from the ledge he spoke of on the yacht_.

She wanders through his space, his niche, his office like Helena did with Vic before their first unofficial date.

_He talks candidly of his intention to go to Paris at her suggestion, she professes gladness at his endeavor yet she appears almost unhappy at the idea he is going off, leaving her. Soon they are off to the Colony for dinner and there they talk about what he should do in Paris. Their attraction is already going up another notch whether they admit it or not. Another time skip and they are dancing together before their eyes meet again._

"_**How do you say in French my sister has a yellow pencil? "  
"Ma soeur a un crayon jaune," **__answers Sabrina.__**  
"How do you say my brother has a lovely girl? "  
"Mon frere a une gentille petite amie," **__responds Sabrina.__**  
"And how do you say I wish I were my brother?"**_

_Later on the way home she is singing that famous song by Edith Piaf, the one called La Vie En Rose. As she sings the lyrics, their eyes lock once more though ever so briefly._

"_**Why are you looking at me that way?" **probes Linus._

"_**All night long I've had the most terrible impulse to do something," **__responds Sabrina.__**  
"Oh never resist an impulse, Sabrina. Especially if it's terrible," **__recommends Linus.__**  
"I'm going to do it!" **__pips Sabrina_

_Sabrina yanks down Linus' homburg hat._

"_**There!"  
"What was that for?"  
"We can't have you walking up the Champs Elysses looking like a tourist undertaker! And another thing, never a briefcase in Paris and never an umbrella. There's a law."

* * *

**_

Helena feels herself laughing at the scene because of it reminds her of when she had given Vic that punch in the arm when believing he had given up the clue to Dinah when in reality he taken advantage of their attention being on her to pocket the freighter schedule.

* * *

"_**How am I ever gonna get along in Paris without someone like you?" **__sighs Linus._

_His eyes wander between the road and her as he continues to babble about learning French, not embarrassing himself, and then she looks at him curiously again. She offers up suggestions though he implies that his age makes it unlikely, that she weren't in love with David, that he asks her to go with him, but then appears to shrug it off. He's gotten through to her, she murmurs a response, then he asks her to sing the song again, and she does, so there it goes the love is written all over them maybe. They arrive back at the garage with David waiting for them and it is an awkward moment where suddenly it seems two men are now competing over her._

_The talk is brief though of course, Linus and Sabrina cover their growing affections well even while Linus speaks a bit of French then heads inside twirling his umbrella.

* * *

_

_At the office, Linus and his father go over Linus' intentions regarding Sabrina. All of Linus' touch gestures are getting picked apart by the father._

"_**How would you do it? You can't even get an olive out of a jar,"**__ snaps Linus._

_He smashes said jar then stuffs the olive in his father's mouth.

* * *

_

_Later that evening Sabrina on the ground floor of Larrabee Industries uses the floor's telephone booth to ring Linus' office and the two get to talking except Linus is sneaking down to intercept before she gets out of the building._

Helena giggles again thinking of their cell phone conversation when she got flustered at him hanging up on her except a split second later there he comes speeding along in the now familiar Pontiac GTO.

_Back upstairs Linus puts her on the spot trying to work out why she is reluctant now to be seen with him. She is trying to get away from the idea of falling in love with him while clinging to the idea she must be in love with David only. One wonders if he had been preparing for her to attempt bail out of going to dinner and theater again especially with a sparsely stacked cabinet of food stuffs right next to the liquor. There is a comical nod that one could almost see through it with all the necessary tools in the lower cabinet below the counter._

The rest plays out rather like Helena's memories of Vic confronting her about why she is after Mandragora as well as causing her to recognize her attraction to him. Linus is doing the very same to Sabrina whether he knows it or not plus he still had to admit aloud his attraction to Sabrina too.

_She goes back to preparing yet also takes the time to remind him of their conversation at The Colony. Linus above all else is a listener and she wryly smiles that he recalls so well, enough for her to compliment his dabble at speaking to French to her. She shows off how well she cracks an egg next, maybe Baron was right she must wonder as she catches herself smiling at Linus. As she searches for the eggbeater, she flicks on the light and finds two boat tickets for Paris._

_She smiles again, only wider and with more flush. Her ecstasy is a bright contrast to the in the moment ploy that Linus had devised to spirit her out of the country to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch except his own heart probably shudders inside. He loves Sabrina and this will hurt her unless he does go with her. He unwilling to lie confesses his original intentions, she thinks that he is going to join her later, but he presses further revealing the full extent of the trick. She plays it cold and he apologizes for the deception even though his feelings are still true._

Vic did similar when admitting why he lent his help to her even though he had known more of the situation then she did as well as knowing she had nothing on Cadmus to offer him.

_He lists his reasons, and she makes a mock apology for allowing her puppy love feelings for David to interfere with business. She deduces almost exactly what he had done to cover his planned absence on the boat just as he concedes to enjoying his time with her. He tells the rest, she takes one of the tickets, and then leaves after suggesting he might enjoy Paris. Another morning rolls around and the Larrabee brothers have a 'talk'. It is clear that David is not as idiotic as he acts from time to time.

* * *

_

_The plan gets another bender a few hours after their 'talk' when David appears at the meeting giving Linus the opportunity to repay David for the punch earlier. Linus after hitting him realizes that David had it right. David had it all in hand to assure that Linus would make it to the tugboat and after that to the **Liberte**… to his lady love Sabrina. Sabrina looks listlessly out to the Atlantic, a steward comes along holding a homburg hat. She adjusts like she did to Linus' in the car and then follows the steward's path after he leaves the boat deck then she turns around spotting Linus with umbrella in hand before he slips onto the belt of another man's trench coat._

_The two embrace lovingly and then comes the fade to black before the words The End.

* * *

_

Helena and Vic are too busy undressing each other to notice those words. There are distinct sounds of feminine moans and sighs as well a clear soft groan from Vic's lips. A sensual turn to a decidedly romantic evening and as for dinner it could wait because their appetite would be heartier later to say the least. She wraps her legs around his waist and he roughly kisses her across the upper part of her body. Their clothes get strewn about the carpeting, she licks her lips between a few of his kisses and she more than returns with plenty of her own plus a bit of gentle back scratching too.

* * *

"A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea." – Honore de Balzac.

_

* * *

_

A/N 1: Back to Helena, starts off in the second to last scene of **Divided We Fall**. I had at least one of these scenes in mind after I wrote the previous chapter, as for the rest, it is a slight nod to an early chapter featuring _The Maltese Falcon_. This time Vic picks the movie... it is the 1954 _Sabrina_.

A/N 2: Now some might ask why that movie? Firstly its Bogart, secondly, its meant in some ways to mirror just how close Helena and Vic have become in such a short time. Some scenes referenced have parallels to episodes like **Double Date**.

A/N 3: Also its meant to follow along with the lighter mood at the end of **Divided We Fall**... the world got saved again... time to celebrate? I think so. After about two or three pulse pounding chapters, I thought this was in order.... for him and especially for her.


	15. Hormones

Almost six months of void, well almost void with nothing to qualify as an Omega Level Alert, but she didn't mind, the last time they had one of those she almost lost him because he thought he had to kill Luthor to save the world. Her only concern then was saving her world... saving _**him**._

Flash makes head lines with him being credited with the defeat of Brainiac-Luthor. He gets head lines a second time for foiling his own murder as some of his Rogues team up to try to kill him.

_If Brainiac-Luthor couldn't do it... what made them think they could?_

Things went forward aside from the Congressional hearings less than a month after the narrowly averted war between the League and Cadmus. Both sides got probation of a kind, but Waller for her part is made a League liaison along side King Faraday of the Justice Department as both have experience with working along side the League. Eiling went along quietly until several weeks ago after using some formula that made him a meta except his rampage only turn the civilians on him after the brute beat Shining Knight within an inch of his life.

* * *

The madness with Cadmus had driven Question to do things she wanted to prevent him trying to do, but she is only one woman just as he is only one man. If she had **_not_** done what she felt was right as well, she still fears it would have cost her in ways she would never be ready to accept, but then she also felt a hormonal compulsion to do those things too. Love makes people do strange things, she had known that ever since she found herself falling in love with him, but somehow 'it' holds 'its' priceless worth in her eyes.

The man she loves is more than just the look she cannot wait to wrap her arms around when she is alone with him. His mind is more imaginative than obsessive in her thinking because she found that he is teaching her without teaching and without telling, meaning she is picking up on his methods without fully realizing it. His face even after the brutality he met during his Cadmus captivity did not affect the way she did react to finally seeing his face or more precisely his eyes in the light. Her reaction quite the opposite actually, she felt a flush and a rush within her, she loves him, no doubt there.

He did remind her of what she said about his face before she tried to elicit his help to find Mandragora. It took less than a month for her to change her mind about his face, but having gone through hell to get him back made seeing Vic Sage's face that much more meaningful.

* * *

Movie watching had become a recurring trend when he spent days or nights at her apartment. She grown to cherish them though in particular the time they watched _Sabrina_. It had helped her forget for awhile all that they went through as a couple during that one week alone. Any time she heard the song La Vie En Rose, it made her feel weak in the knees, but more so when she heard it in French or especially in Italian. She found herself sorting through more things that belong to her mother including records. It took some doing, but she manages to convert them to CD's yet for the novelty she also sought to buy a record player despite the cost.

He had done a lot of the footwork during the last few times they were together so she thought it possible to surprise him or at least make the atmosphere harder for him to get away from.

His latest gift to her was a book that he personally put his own favored quotations in and most were definitely him yet some made her laugh out right like the ones by Oscar Wilde or Mignon McLaughlin. The ones from Wilde cause to her to chuckle though the one about blocking retreats actually made sense to her now. As for the ones by McLaughlin, she wonders where does he find these, especially the one about how women feel bothered about men looking hungrily or not at them. She recalls how his stares at first did bother her yet when he starts to do it or not do it, it actually made her confront him about the change. In his own far more subtle way he had been flirting with her from the start even though he did seem very unaware and she had almost no idea either.

* * *

His sudden agreeableness to help her nab Mandragora did strike her as odd yet she had known back then and more so now that she made the right decision going to him for help because otherwise things could have gone much differently. On top of that she might not have fallen in love with him as that love made her risk her own life for his, which as an act is very new to her yet at as an idea she realizes now that it felt like it had been growing within her ever since their first kiss. He had such shyness in admitting it and for that she would always smile at the memory of his admission of his liking her. As time went on she found that he too is perhaps falling in love with her though it had become direct with how intimate they are when alone together, just the two of them and that is the clearest way to 'talk'.

* * *

She felt like going on the town and so she suits up ever so elegantly. Some wonder does one wear the costume over or under regular clothes yet her solution is a trade secret she tell herself before remembering how others including Vic had made use of the same phrase or logic. She packs her new dress into the storage compartment of her bike and is eager to test out her bike's new tracking system.

Question had told her about anomalies cropping up in League physicals particularly among the female members. She finds it curious too aside from the fact that Question is taking interest in it, but he also said the anomalies begin to appear not long after the comlink upgrades though none of the males are showing the same symptoms. She represses the urge to tell him that maybe he is looking a little too deeply into something as mundane as medical anomalies. He sent her a list of all the ones with anomalous readings, but the infirmary staff thought nothing of it because missions were always taxing on bodies yet he ties it more to the fact they all show signs of sleep deprivation.

The deprivation indications while not extreme yet, could still get that way if the cause is not found out, but maybe they were losing sleep for different reasons like say the men in their lives. She could sympathize with that, but it didn't mean she thought that losing sleep over him is entirely a bad thing, with his life in danger definitely yet otherwise it felt ridiculous except she was not any of them.

The list had several names on it including Black Canary, which makes even more puzzling.

_What could be the cause? Could it have something to do with Arrow?_

If it actually had anything to do with Arrow is yet to be determined too. She combs Canary's usual haunts and typical sweep areas though it takes some footwork to really track her down. Huntress drops down into an alleyway near large crates where Canary is attempting to pin a rather ordinary looking male. She looks to be struggling with the guy, which seems so unlike her.

"You need a hand Canary?" asks Huntress.

She knows she is leaning rather aloof against the crate, but she let Canary make her own call. The man is getting the upper hand with Canary under him, he must like being on top, and being able to knock down someone like Canary is probably going straight to somewhere other than his head.

"Not from you!"

The man slugs her, looks like it hurt, and now he is looking forward to getting away.

"Suit yourself."

He looks a bit confused by Huntress not going after him, but then Huntress had picked up that trick from Batman years ago.

"I have never seen you look so sloppy," comments Huntress.

She puts up her arm as Canary tries to resume the chase by getting around her. Huntress flips a trash can lid then flicks like it could have been one of Batman's batarangs. It hits the fleeing criminal in the neck knocking him to the ground in the adjacent alleyway.

"I don't need your help Huntress."

"Right you were doing a fabulous job of getting your butt handed to you."

Together they head towards the knocked out criminal.

"What he did do?"

Canary pulls a wallet out of the male's jeans.

"Stole a wallet," answers Canary.

Huntress tries to suppress the urge to make fun of Canary.

"Shut up, you got creamed by a pickpocket," snorts Huntress.

Canary looks ready to drop dead from exhaustion clearly. It appears Question had it right as usual, but then she thought he is usually right about almost everything except when he is infrequently wrong.

"You sure you are okay?"

"Worried?"

"Curious."

"Right."

Canary before putting on her helmet after getting on her bike makes one last look in Huntress' direction.

"I didn't think you cared about anyone."

_Less than a year ago you would have been right Dinah, but I am a different woman now. A woman in love, a woman with a thawed out heart, which isn't a bad thing, you made it work with Oliver while I am finding my own way with Vic._

Huntress fires a tracking beacon onto the seat of Canary's motorcycle just as she revs up the bike, which would cover all the sounds the beacon would make while activating then it goes silent yet continues emitting a signal where it goes of course. She returns to where she hid her own bike and follows Canary home. However she kept her distance yet even Canary should getting that prickling sensation that someone is following her except nothing happens other than her haphazardly making all sorts of turns to keep up with the rather poor bike maneuvering on Canary's part.

* * *

Huntress parks the bike in an alley across the street from Canary's apartment complex and then grapple ascends to the roof. She positions herself with a line of sight to Canary's apartment, which faces the street with a clear view of the bedroom. No lights went on, no blinds were shut, Canary didn't even undress, not Huntress would want to see that anyway, but it adds to the odd list. At the same time, Huntress relays her observations to Vic over the cell phone in one hand and the binoculars are in the other. She learned long ago how to make full use of both hands while doing two separate things like she is doing now.

"I'm telling you Q, Canary is totally off her game. Maybe she is moonlighting, maybe she is stepping out on Green Arrow," suggests Huntress.

"_The deeper mystery is why do you even care? Isn't this the same woman who beat the snot out of you a couple months back?"_ probes Question.

"She got a lucky shot in!" retorts Huntress.

She knows it was more than one.

"Okay, five or six lucky shots," resigns Huntress.

She wonders where he is now, but before she can remind him of why she is even on this 'case' in the first place, he interrupts her again. She is used to him doing that from time to time, every so often she likes it when he takes charge or initiative.

"_Ah ha, just as I suspected… __**thirty-two**__ flavors,"_ comments Question.

"There is something wrong here Q, I can feel it," remarks Huntress.

"_I am the conspiracy theorist and ever I don't see it,"_ responds Question.

She shifts position to lean against the wall behind her on the rooftop.

"So what are you wearing?" asks Huntress seductively.

She gently swings the binoculars back and forth waiting for his reply.

"_Blue overcoat, fedora…"_

She smirks a little at the description, it is so like him yet so plain for a man who could speak so eloquently and romantic at times, apparently right now isn't one of those times.

"You really stink at this," jests Huntress.

_"Orange socks?"_ says Question.

The sound of a motorcycle revving interrupts their chat.

"She's on the move, got to go babydoll."

"_You are starting to remind me of me except it is not me."_

"You are rubbing off on me a little too much."

"_It doesn't seem to bother you."_

"It makes me feel passionate about things… and about you."

"_Likewise il mio amore come una rosa."_

She did hate to end the call after he said _**that**, _except the trail on Canary is getting colder by the second. They hang up at the same time knowing they could always pick this up later after their mutual investigative tendency gets filled enough. It is a rapid yet gracefully handled descent to the alley using her cape to regulate the drop then she fires up the bike to follow Canary. The instinct reaction to put the tracker on her motorcycle really did make sense, but it seem strange as Canary had looked completely blacked out on her bed when she was talking to Question except not anymore. As she follows, it is clear that something is up more than ever and then an inward sigh comes as Huntress works out the general direction that Canary is heading towards.

Canary is heading for somewhere in Bludhaven, Nightwing's town, and so if something is going on there then why is he not looking into it she wonders for a moment.

She returns her focus to weaving through traffic after Canary. Huntress casts a sidelong glance after entering Bludhaven a few minutes later. She remembers the gargoyle statues that are quite popular here except the number she remembers being on a particular rooftop don't match with the shadow outlines she mentally counts briefly. Nightwing is watching obviously, but he figures there is no need to follow either her or Canary. This is only a guess and at least one familiar costume on the prowl does not always raise any red flags.

* * *

The trail ends at a parking garage, which is almost entirely by itself in the midst of a quieter side of Bludhaven. Huntress however hides her bike out of sight before stealthily getting into the garage in a less visible manner though the place probably has some security measures at least. She slips in and hides behind a parked car. Canary heads towards an elevator door and pulls out a security card then another woman is joining her. It is Fire, another from the medical anomaly list, so whatever is going all of them are coming here, wherever here is, but that would mean following them downstairs somehow.

She trips the security alarm on purpose by trying to pick the card slot and a handful of gun carrying tuxedos are there to greet her when the doors open. The whole sunglasses at night is so out of date, but to her it is part of that whole bad guy's security personnel stereotype in spy movies. She steps inside between all five of them. All are looking at her with suspicion not sure if she is part of the downstairs party so they only keep their weapons up yet none make any move to pull triggers. This is their last mistake as she elbows the two behind her first then knees one of the ones near the elevator switchboard and swings a closed fist backwards as she keeps her eyes on the only one left in front of her.

The one behind her went right into her fist and stumbles back dropping his weapon as he falls to the floor. The last tries to shoot yet she grips his wrist then slightly twists it. He yelps in pain as the gun clatters to the floor then she head butts him causing him to crumple to the floor. It went quicker than she thought, but just as well. Two out of five were way out of shape, the one that just made a try to shoot her is a rook, the one next to him relies too much on fear of guns, and the one that thought to jump her has bad reflexes.

The doors open to reveal the hidden underground.

_An underground casino perhaps, but why is Canary, Fire, or any of the others coming down here?_

She slides off her mask then slips off into the ladies' room to change costumes to better blend in with the crowd. The situation is an excuse to wear her new red dress and black sandals as well as different lipstick.

_I will have to remember to try this one on you later baby. Your kissing inexperience had given me plenty of motivation to try them all on you and lots of new ones too. You made kissing fun again somehow, but that is not the only thing about it. You felt so awkward and unsure at first yet in time you had come up with your own way and how much I miss that when I look like this._

She forces her mind back to the task at hand and heads out with her pocket over her arm. She had found out long ago how to make her costume fit into pocketbooks and shoulder bags instead of always trying to wear them under her clothes like she thought plenty of others had done. The only one to occasionally envy is Stewart, he slips in and out with a thought because of the ring.

_However that steals the fun putting it on, taking it off, or someone else taking it… Helena focus girl._

She daintily walks across the room, takes a champagne glass, and heads into the auditorium where the crowd is filling into the seats. She finds a seat then notices the input display arm rest console that is blinking 'Place Your Bets.' The speakers boom and then she hears the voice of the last person she thought she hear from again considering how a certain Pretty Bird and her Archer shut her down almost a year ago.

**_"Good evening Ladies and Gentleman. Welcome to another exclusive evening of Metabrawl Glamor Slam. My name is Roulette and I make the rules."_**

The crowd cheers and some sort of barrier starts to descend from the high point of the ring shaped platform below all the aisles.

**_"Prepare to see the biggest, baddest super powered struggle domination that has ever been my pleasure to present…"_**

Two angular sections of the platform descend into the floor.

**_"A no holds bar fight between two legendary ladies of the League."_**

The crowd cheers grow by the second.

**_"Fire! The blistering babe from Brazil!"_**

_Fire looks quite ready for a fight if her demeanor means anything, so are all the ones with anomalies showing signs of exhaustion and worse because they have been fighting in this Glamor Slam?_

**_"The undefeated Queen of Glamor Slam… Black Canary!"_**

_She looks as pumped for a fight as Fire yet the demeanor is virtually identical to Fire's. This is more than an anomaly, it is a trend, and a rather troublesome coincidence if all of them look like this when they are fighting in that thing._

The two stand there as if posturing only, as if waiting for something to start the fight instead of them starting it themselves.

_This is wrong… really wrong… can't doing anything from here though… except watch in the same room unlike what happen on the Watchtower months ago during the Founders versus Brainthor fight. She inwardly gulps at the other comparison her mind makes... the closet... again with that one.  
_

_**"Place your bets ladies and gentlemen!"**_

_You are all pathetic, how many times have these women risked their necks, their lives, their hearts, everything they have just so you can have the luxury to sit here and bet which one of them will beat the rest?

* * *

_

The fight kicks off with an upper thrust kick from Canary, which sends Fire down on her back while landing hips first, which in Helena's experience hurts quite a bit if there is enough force in the kick that sends one flying even a short distance. Fire regains the edge as she ignites into her flaming form then gets back to her feet to unleash unbroken flame trails after Canary who back flips repeatedly to dodge them. Fire shifts to firing a constant burn straight behind Canary except Canary goes up the closest pole as the burn follows her up. Canary next vaults over Fire and slows her descent by dragging her leather boots across the ring's fancy red carpeting.

Fire takes off into a run straight at Canary except the latter does a headstand to sidestep the headlong rush so Fire follows up with another burn forcing Canary to remain in a constant tumble. However Canary folds into a kneeling position as the burn draws too close to her head so she narrowly saves that flowing yet wavy blond hair that Oliver Queen can't get enough of. Her hair is not his only favored physical quality when it comes to Canary. He is still known for staring at her legs as someone said jokingly to her before Huntress was fired from the League.

Fire takes flight and swings around to come flaming down on Canary. She lets off more burn trails forcing Canary to run and from what Helena saw with the pickpocket earlier it did not look like Canary would make it, well almost. Fire saw through the run to pole then vault trick so spins around just as Canary makes a second vault and a fireball strikes Canary sending her sprawling to the ground. Fire decides to go all attack with no burns this time except Canary is quick to regain her footing. Helena remembers the last time she saw Canary stand like that. It was just before she used the subsonic cry against Mandragora.

_It didn't work on him, but it just might kill Fire, what the heck are you doing down there?_

Fire is thrown backwards into the barrier and she reverts back to her usual look then falls to the floor. The crowd cheers, well the ones that bet Canary would win anyway, but still it is sickening to Helena. It is one thing for a costume to be injured in a fight against a criminal or a villain, but not like this, pitting her against another heroine for money, that is just plain wrong. Fire looks up briefly before passing out from her newest injuries, undoubtedly this is not the first time they took injuries in that thing, but it would have to be among the last before tonight is over.

"I am the winner!" calls Canary.

_This is not you, you wouldn't act like that, sure you might not like me, but Fire is still in the League, you wouldn't harm another at least I hope not, but this ends tonight, one way or another.

* * *

_

Helena slips back to her Huntress guise before going back to the garage to confront Canary.

"What's wrong with you? You almost killed Fire back there," snaps Huntress.

Canary remains unmoved, which is strange yet tonight has already had more than its fill in her mind.

"Are you undercover? Is Roulette blackmailing you?" quips Huntress.

No response yet Canary is posturing for something.

"Talk to me!"

Huntress weathers a full blown roundhouse kick a split second later.

"You got worst than that coming!"

Huntress for a change actually felt afraid again, but not enough to back down. Canary tries to land another kick yet Huntress handstands her way out of it then slides back on her heeled boots. Canary follows up with a punch that hits Huntress right in the face. Huntress is able to deflect the next two then tries for a kick of her own except Canary dodges under it. She tries with the other leg and Canary tosses just like she did in their last fight except getting thrown against a car hurt surprisingly less than getting thrown against asphalt in a parking garage.

She pushes away the pain and Canary closes in again. Canary blocks all the punches by using her forearms only yet there are bruise marks visible on those same forearms.

_How many fights would it take to do that damage? I can't think of that now anyway._

Canary shifts back to kicking except she is landing kicks on Huntress' chest.

_You didn't see me aiming for yours, ugh, I wonder if Batman was right to wear Kevlar? Does it stand up to more than bullets?_

Huntress goes back on the offensive except Canary sees so starts sauntering backwards, which is something Huntress had not seen her do on her before. It must be from Arrow she figures as she keeps attacking and missing though at least maybe this time it won't leave her too open, but Canary didn't apparently remember she is backing into a concrete pillar. The effect of slightly hitting her head stuns her enough for Huntress to move in closer. However Canary is about to try the subsonic trick on her, which end this badly for Huntress.

_I'm sorry about this, but I'm not getting blown out like Fire. Stupid mental joke, but I am not done yet._

Huntress elbows Canary in the throat and then pulls out her earpiece comlink except even without the subsonic Canary knocks it from her hand. Two successive and quick punches send Huntress stumbling and in the process caused her to crush the comlink with her heeled boot.

_Oh perfect now I am stuck with a woman who can just kick the snot out of me again. I know we don't get along, but I'm trying to help Dinah._

"Terrific," grumbles Huntress.

Canary appears to be out of it now as she looks a little lost. However no taking chances even if she is really coming out of something. A quick punch to the face sends Canary down to the ground, which did look too easy, she is back to acting like she is almost on a burnout like earlier tonight. Huntress notices it just got darker in here, but they are only shadows… shadows of security personnel and a costumed villain.

"Thanks for saving us the trouble," says the man.

He glares at her.

"We really appreciate it," continues the man.

He fires his weapon, but it only feels like an overly powerful stunning discharge and then she falls down next to Canary.

* * *

She awakens later in a cramped cell.

"How was I supposed to know you snapped out of it?" sighs Huntress apologetically.

Canary merely glares at her and says nothing.

"I couldn't be sure."

She looks at Canary who looks like she is caught up in too much to work out with what is going on here.

"They have had you up every night working the arena. No wonder you have been fighting like a girl."

The glare and the smirk remain on Canary's face at least for a bit longer.

"Well you know what I mean."

Roulette and a physician approach the cell opposite theirs. Fire is in that one.

"You don't remember that do you?" asks Huntress.

Canary still stares at her in disbelief about all this.

"You did that to her," continues Huntress.

Canary's throat is still raw from Huntress elbowing it yet seeing Fire like that shocks her. Canary touches the burn marks on her arms.

"How did you think you got that burn?" quips Huntress.

Huntress considers quickly all the notes she had mentally taken since watching the fight in the arena and concludes that this is mind control. After all these women would not ordinarily fight each other, they might for fun, but this is not fun, this is barbaric.

"Must be some kind of mind control technology."

Canary starts pointing to her hair. At first Huntress misunderstands the gesture then it occurs to her that Question also made a passing mention about software irregularities in the new comlink upgrades, which would have made it possible for someone to manipulate the users via technological coercion. The users however would have apparently no memory of what they did during that time so they would likely attribute it to sleep or other gaps in memory like being drunk for instance.

"If she dies, Roulette, I'm taking you down hard. I promise you that."

Roulette already aware that they are both awake turns her gaze to their cell.

"Now why would I allow such a valuable commodity die? On the other hand, you two aren't under my control, which means I am going to have to eliminate you, in the ring of course, why just snuff you out when I sell tickets and lay odds?" remarks Roulette confidently.

"Scum," hisses Huntress.

"No, no, my dear. I am an entrepreneur," retorts Roulette.

She essentially gives away the method and confirms what both of them already suspect to be the case. Roulette also believes that they will both lose in the ring, so certain, so believing, but if they are going to survive, then Roulette will have to be _dead_ wrong.

_Your mistake is my… no… our advantage._

Huntress and Black Canary nod as if agreeing that they alone will have to free the other ladies from Roulette's control because without comlinks there is no way to radio for help and if they had comlinks they would be in the ring brawling without remorse.

* * *

Roulette topside announces an extra match for tonight, which gains everyone's attention. The cuffs unlock then fall to the floor as she continues to talk about the match.

_**"They won't be fighting each other."**_

Canary and Huntress share a mutual look of surprise just before the floors open up again. At first the crowd boos yet settles down as the two others rise up.

_**"Huntress and Black Canary versus two new contenders! Vixen, the beauty with the beast powers, and the Thanagar thrasher... Hawkgirl!"**_

_This just keeps getting better the two of us against the two that are romantically sparring over John Stewart._

"Looks like we're in this together."

"If you call me "girlfriend", I'm gonna dropkick you into the next county."

"Now don't go all sentimental on me."

Vixen makes the first move by lunging at Huntress except by ducking Vixen only knocks down Canary. The two tussle on the floor while Shayera with a charged mace goes after Huntress. The only way to stay ahead of someone with a mace is to keep one's distance.

_Acrobatics really come in handy right about now, got to find a way to get that comlink out of her ear or I'm dust._

Canary and Vixen shift away from the floor after Canary's subsonic cry does nothing to the latter. Shayera comes back mace in hand for a whack except Huntress dodges by going under then throwing Shayera the other way by using her heeled boots as a fulcrum.

Canary gets the comlink out of Vixen's ear, but still no change.

_It must stop transmitting, not just taken out of the user's ear, so how do I get that close to Shayera with that mace of hers?_

Vixen lands on her own comlink crushing it just like Huntress had incidentally done just before she knocked out Canary and got caught by Roulette's partner. Vixen goes after Shayera by jumping on her back.

"I don't want hurt you Shayera."

"But I want to hurt you!"

"Just when we were starting to get along…"

Vixen got caught off guard when Shayera leaps backwards slamming Vixen into the barrier. Shayera goes after Huntress again except she dodges like before then passes her off to Canary. Canary goes to work yet no go on the comlink. Vixen comes back in latching onto Shayera while using one her beast powers to bind Shayera, which allows Canary to pull out the comlink then crush it between her fingers.

"I don't think I wanna know!" exclaims Shayera.

"We're all in a cage match fighting to the death!" quips Vixen.

"Yeah! See?" sighs Shayera.

Huntress taunts Roulette.

_Maybe I shouldn't have done that… going up against those two was one thing… but this is…_

**"_I saved the very best for last!"_**

The crowd really goes nuts now.

**"_Yes that's really Wonder Woman! Ladies and gentlemen, it is on! Can even these four beautiful bruisers stand up to the Amazon powerhouse herself?"_**

The four of them back up towards the opposite wall.

"Anyone got a plan?" asks Vixen.

"Yeah, try to stay alive," retorts Shayera.

"Anybody got a good plan?" rebukes Huntress.

_Thought going up against Mari and Shayera was bad, but right now I wouldn't want to imagine what could amplify Diana's aggression especially if it involves Bruce Wayne, which it probably does… have to keep moving!_

All four split up just before Diana smashes the floor where they were all standing seconds ago. Shayera's attempt to sneak up on Diana fails as she gets instantly flipped over hard onto the broken floor. Huntress tries next, no hits either, and then Canary goes after her, same results. Vixen tries only Diana shoots up ahead Vixen's move though Vixen gets out of the way as Diana heads back down to flatten her. Next Vixen channels some other animal to kick Diana towards the barrier pole, which knocks her down for less than a second so both Canary and Huntress go to pin her. Vixen lands next with Shayera not far behind, but this is Diana.

_Somebody pull it out and smash it already… can't keep this up long at all!_

Diana rises fast then flings all four back to the other side of the ring. Diana heads after Vixen and Huntress. Shayera's mace is doing little to the barrier so Canary goes subsonic on it as Shayera covers her ears. The crowd starts throwing their trash at the ring. Shayera takes both Huntress and Canary to the stands then she darts back to help Vixen.

At the top of the stairs, the five that Helena fought in the elevator are back and charging out to meet them. Determination is a powerful motivator and right about now there is no shortage of that in them. Canary divides and conquers while Huntress just sacks them all.

* * *

Diana is wasting Vixen and the audience flees when she gets flung into the stands. No tricks or traps work on Diana. Shayera almost hits Vixen with the mace instead then Diana trips her up. The brawl is spilling over into the casino and the property damage is a given.

* * *

Canary boosts Huntress into the air and she comes down ready to punch the next round of security blockheads. Time is however of the essence with the other two barely holding out against Diana. Huntress takes Canary by the waist then fires off a grappler to get them to the control booth hopefully.

Together they smash through the window to find Roulette and the male from earlier up there with her.

"I should have taken you down last time! My mistake," snips Canary.

Roulette steps to side as Canary goes subsonic and the male from before fires a weapon that emits a similar effect to the subsonic cry. Canary's cry however shatters the weapon then Roulette turns to run only to be met by a loaded arrow crossbow. Roulette backs up as Huntress advances still aiming except Roulette kicks the crossbow from her grip.

_Surprise indeed, but I'll adapt to that too._

Huntress dodges though not quite fast enough at first. After a few minutes Roulette finally makes the confident mistake and Huntress twists both hands behind Roulette's back then taunts her for a parting reminder.

"Who's better?"

"You…"

Roulette hesitates to concede so Huntress twists harder.

"You!"

"Got that right."

Canary is getting wasted by the male who uses sonic and sonar technology, which of course means he is one of Luthor's new buddies, Sonar. Huntress hurls Roulette at him causing him to drop the remote that controls what he put on Canary's head in order to fry her brains as he put it. She steps on it then together they walk over to him. Canary gives him a nice hard punch then Huntress aims the crossbow at him.

"Now do I kill the signal or you?" snaps Huntress.

He looks terrified, afraid, and then he gives in by confessing how it works then it gets shut down.

A little longer and Diana could have killed them. She like the rest have no memory of what went on down here, but at least it is over. Roulette and Sonar are taken into custody by Bludhaven PD.

* * *

Diana is the least hurt of any who was under Sonar's sonic mind control software, she owes that to her powers, and as for the others it'll take longer. Fire is going back to the Watchtower using Diana's comlink though they also pass along the message to have all comlinks cleaned of the new software then start work on countermeasures to prevent this from happening again.

_It was no conspiracy, it was greed, it was demeaning, it was so many things, and the only way I got out of this alive was using my head instead of my fists as well as counting on others once free of the mind control to help me put an end to this.  
_

The other ladies are already on their way out leaving Huntress alone down here with Canary.

"You know, if you want, I can talk to the League, and get you back in," offers Canary.

"Nah, I do fine on my own," declines Huntress.

_Thanks for the offer, but I'll settle for personal friendships… not professional 'teamwork'._

"Thank you, Helena. If you hadn't…"

"You would have done the same…"

_A couple months ago I would have doubted myself for saying that, but after tonight, I know better._

Huntress starts to walk off while commenting about how she had owned Canary in their garage fight earlier. Canary follows while contradicting that she must be dreaming. Huntress counters by talking about not wasting dreams on her. They talk a bit about what happen tonight and stereotypes until both get this mischievous look in their eyes.

"Two falls out of three?" suggests Canary.

"You are on," chuckles Huntress.

Huntress unhooks and drops her utility belt once in the other corner. Canary pulls off her leather jacket, which took some damage in the fight though some sewing could fix that anyway. The two charge head long at each other then vault into the air with their heeled boots aiming towards the other. The challenge would end with at least three probable outcomes… win-lose, lose-win, or a tie.

The results did not matter to Huntress because at least she made one friend tonight and that is enough for her aside from breaking the hold that Sonar had over them in order to keep Roulette out of debt.

* * *

A/N 1: Set during **Grudge Match**, mentions of prior episodes. This time I tried to really put myself back into a Huntress/Helena frame of mind. Hopefully it shows and shows how much respect I hold for her character... aside from inner thoughts about attire, lipstick kissing, etc.

A/N 2: I again watched the episode in order to depict the fights accurately as well as to sort of fill in the thoughts of Helena or Huntress. Technically I realize they are the same person on some levels, but both are more like spectators until Huntress is thrust into the ring with the other ladies.

A/N 3: Relationship 'issues' nod with some of Huntress' inner thoughts. This one was longer than usual so consider this Part I of a Grudge Match duology. Also the chapter title is meant to refer to hormones positively, not negatively.


	16. Flavors

Question told Huntress about the anomalies on purpose plus he is aware that Roulette had been having money troubles until recently, but then after that she disappears from sight except there had been increasingly amount of excessively wealthy people going to Bludhaven. He would draw too much attention if he went investigating plus he dislikes having his face seen in such a public way even though there a few that had seen it by now. Besides she would blend better at Roulette's new digs better than him and he did believe she could use a case of her own. He also felt maybe she make some friends in the process since she had gotten off on the wrong 'boot' with Canary months ago.

He also prefers to be pursuing a less life threatening tangent for a change too. He could think of none as silly in appearance as breaking into a Baskin Robbins factory to find the mythic flavor he felt certain does it exist yet during a search of the factory's cold storage freezers his cell phone goes off. He almost felt a worry creeping up on him yet her calling did alleviate it. He had confidence in her, in her abilities, but he did not like the unknowns that Roulette's new game brought to the table. However he inwardly reassures himself that Huntress can handle whatever happens with her investigation without him getting involved, at least not directly.

He had given her the clues such as the medical anomalies and software oddities, which should add up to what certain ladies of the League are doing with their off-hours. She would work out the rest somewhere along the pathways.

"_I'm telling you Q, Canary is totally off her game. Maybe she is moonlighting, maybe she is stepping out on Green Arrow,"_ suggests Huntress.

"The deeper mystery is why do you even care? Isn't this the same woman who beat the snot out of you a couple months back?" probes Question.

"_She got a lucky shot in!"_ retorts Huntress.

He took a beating from Arrow that night, but Canary was cleaning Huntress' clock to turn a phrase.

"_Okay, five or six lucky shots,"_ resigns Huntress.

"Ah ha, just as I suspected… **thirty-two** flavors," comments Question.

"_There is something wrong here Q, I can feel it,"_ remarks Huntress.

"I am the conspiracy theorist and ever I don't see it," responds Question.

* * *

He is not lying because he is not seeing or thinking whatever she suspects to be the situation. All he knows is that Roulette had been in dire straits financially she had to seek out someone with some wealth to spare in order for her to afford whatever might be allowing her to manipulate female Leaguers. This is all he could find aside from noted anomalies so he left the rest in Huntress' capable hands.

* * *

"_So what are you wearing?"_ asks Huntress seductively.

"Blue overcoat, fedora…"

"_You really stink at this,"_ jests Huntress.

"Orange socks?" says Question.

He can hear a motorcycle revving and it is clearly not Huntress' that much is clear.

"_She's on the move, got to go babydoll."_

"You are starting to remind me of me except it is not me."

"_You are rubbing off on me a little too much."_

"It doesn't seem to bother you."

"_It makes me feel passionate about things… and about you."_

"Likewise il mio amore come una rosa."

He knows her new favorite song is _La Vie En Rose_ as he heard the French version when they were watching his film suggestion the night after the news conference following the face off between the Founders and Brainthor. He remembers getting visits from all the Founders except J'onn, but he understood why the Martian felt uncomfortable around him. Question's thought process often made it impossible for even the most perceptible to decipher his behavior or thoughts yet he prefers it that way. Many pay no mind to it at all.

* * *

Batman got over their scuffle in the Batcave in time though he knows he probably put Huntress on the trail on how to track him after his disappearance following the failed attempt to kill Luthor. Bruce however also understood well enough that a woman in love is not a woman to be taken lightly so he sent her on her way and as for the rest he could only surmise that she caught up with Superman somehow, probably using Olsen's special watch. Vic's only hope is that events would not test her in such a way again, but reality is not that kind. He wouldn't try to assign a supernatural or preternatural force to inanimate objects or personal circumstances because it is people that cause chaos.

Chaos is not necessarily a bad element, but like many human qualities, there are times where it becomes excessive like it had during recent months between the League and Cadmus.

* * *

Tonight he would be the distraction or rather the ice cream flavor would be a better one especially with certain guests converging on Wayne Manor thinking that Bruce had sent the invites, but even Vic in the guise of Question had mischievous moments including this one. He had actually been the sender, but he had done this with the motivation that they might actually have fun without the ladies tonight. However he knows the guys won't just kick back and relax once he shows them what he suspects Roulette is up to yet knows ways to keep them at the manor if only to provide sufficient time for her to handle the situation with Roulette.

Question packs the flavor into a compact cold storage unit and keeps it up front in the Pontiac with him as he leaves the area of the Baskin Robbins place. He had his suspicions about why Baskin Robbins isn't marketing the flavor yet, but even a tidbit sampling shows him why people shouldn't consume large quantities of ice cream in general. However this flavor appears to take those side effects further and adds a few others. It almost felt wrong testing it on them, but some of them like Bruce could probably benefit from tasting it. At the same time, he had a theory that this flavor affects inhibitions, but so far no proof of it unless he could find some in the other guys tasting the flavor.

* * *

He parks the Pontiac outside the main garage and goes the rest of the way on foot then rings the bell unlike on his last visit where he had come in then gone to the cave to confront Batman about the deception that he perceived on Batman's part. Alfred Pennyworth answers and looks at him suspiciously yet obviously notes the ice cream carton in hand too.

"Ah, I trust you aren't of the mind to drug anybody tonight Master Sage," quips Alfred.

"Worry not Alfred, I come bearing gifts… ice cream," sighs Vic.

"What brand if I might inquire?" asks Alfred.

"Baskin Robbins… I doubt few have ever tasted this flavor."

"By all means come in then, it appears you aren't the only house guest tonight Masters Queen, Stewart, and West are also here."

"Seems Bruce is being quite the host tonight."

"He claims he didn't invite them, but they all said he did… usually he doesn't make that mistake unless his work fouls his sense of time yet that too is quite rare."

"If not too much trouble, some spoons, maybe bowls… or better do you have a milkshake maker?"

"I wouldn't be much a dessert connoisseur if I didn't have one of those in my kitchen now would I?"

Vic hands off the ice cream to Alfred and asks for him to make as any shakes as possible then bring them to the room with the big screen. The butler with a slight spring in his step is happy to oblige and notes that Pennyworth is already sampling it. Vic would not have had the nerve to do this without sampling himself too, which meant it does appear to curb inhibitions.

Wally zips over to Vic after spotting him as he is moving through the foyer.

"Hey man, I wouldn't have expected to see you here though Bats says you are a frequent cave visitor."

"That would be correct West, so how is Central City these days?"

"Good, I mean sure there was an upset when Boomerang, Cold, and Mirror Master made a trio appearance at the Flash Museum, but Orion, Bats, and I took care of them. Plus I tell ya I think I am growing on Bats finally."

"It was a very heroic stand you took again Brainthor. I do it poor justice in words, but you get my meaning I think."

"Yeah, it was the most intense fight of my life. I really hope I never have to go that fast again 'cause if I do, it could be bad, really bad, but what matters is we stopped the two headed show boaters."

Question chuckles just a little at the last part.

"Is that a chuckle I hear?"

"Yeah, things got a little too serious even for me, but I am going to let you in on a secret of mine."

"What's that?"

Wally grins a little and confides he'll keep it to himself. Together they join the others who are busy sipping at shakes that Alfred had just brought them.

"Looks like you are back on your feet… heard I missed you at the conference well sort of."

"No worries Queen."

"Do you really have to refer to everyone by last name if they have one?"

"Reflex… but if you prefer… I'll say Oliver… now don't you go saying I want some more."

Oliver is almost done with his and almost did perhaps say that yet Wally hands him another just before it could have been said then takes one for himself.

"What flavor is this Vic?" probes Bruce.

"His name is Vic?" snorts John.

"Yes though I think some might confuse you with J'onn… the names sound alike for starters."

John keeps sipping his and realizes that Vic is purposely making jabs at them yet is unsure as to why.

"Again what flavor?"

"Baskin Robbins no. 32."

"There must be a name."

"They kept it hidden."

"Surely you must know."

"Don't think they picked a name for it yet."

Oliver plops down in one of the two recliners so Wally takes the other leaving Bruce and John with the enormous couch in the middle. Vic goes rapid channel surfing, too quick except maybe for Bruce, but he had the kind of ability too.

"I thought I was fast… hand is quicker than eye eh?" chuckles Wally.

"Something like that West," remarks Vic.

"You gonna keep referring to us by last names all night?" queries John.

"Bruce and I are on the first name basis, but its more a mutual spar jabbing joke right?" cracks Vic.

"Right Vic, remind all of us how you found out my identity out of costume."

"It doesn't take a genius to work it out if you sort through all the evidence, but then I am one of those kinds of people who can sift through anything for days, well almost anything, and eventually reach a conclusion…"

Wally covers a yawn, John looks a bit spaced, and Oliver is still sipping his shake.

"If I'm boring you at all don't hesitate to say so okay?" suggests Vic.

"I'd prefer the discovery details as opposed to your evidence sorting," quips Oliver.

"I'm sure you would Ollie," snorts Vic.

"Ollie? Who calls him Ollie?" asks Wally.

"I'd give you one guess and she's sparring with one of the girls you dated a few months ago."

Somehow Vic got 'lucky' and found the channel that Roulette had got to broadcast whatever she is up to below street level in Bludhaven.

* * *

"_**Good evening Ladies and Gentleman. Welcome to another exclusive evening of Metabrawl Glamor Slam. My name is Roulette and I make the rules."**_

There's recognition of voice by Oliver no doubt and as for Wally, he looks confused mostly.

"_**Prepare to see the biggest, baddest super powered struggle domination that has ever been my pleasure to present…"**_

Two angular sections of the platform descend into the floor.

"_**A no holds bar fight between two legendary ladies of the League."**_

First up is the one that makes Wally's eyes widen with surprise.

"_**Fire! The blistering babe from Brazil!"**_

Next to rise is the one that makes Oliver ready to bolt for the door.

"_**The undefeated Queen of Glamor Slam… Black Canary!"**_

Bruce grabs Oliver and John yanks Wally then both are taken back as this Glamour Slam continues on the screen.

"What the heck is Roulette up to this time?" retorts Oliver.

"Who is Roulette?" probes Wally.

"She is a high stakes casino type except she often employs all sorts for fighting matches though last I saw of her was when Black Canary and I shut her down over a year ago."

"Seems like she's been a busy lady, but why would Canary or Fire be down there?"

"Undercover maybe… blackmail possibly…."

Vic settles himself into a spot between Bruce and John. Bruce took one of the recliners after Oliver tried to make a dash for the door whereas John simply had given Wally another shake, which kept him in place for now. Bruce and John take little interest in it, but that could change easily muses Vic to himself.

* * *

_**The fight kicks off with an upper thrust kick from Canary, which sends Fire down on her back while landing hips first. Fire regains the edge then ignites into her flaming form then gets back to her feet to unleash unbroken flame trails after Canary who back flips repeatedly to dodge them.

* * *

**_

"C'mon Dinah… you can wipe the floor with her."

"They don't call her Fire for nothing… Beatriz will show her the heat."

"You sure about that Wally?"

"I'm sure…"

"Sure enough for a wager?"

"You two are ridiculous… these are women you work with!"

"He's right and you both know it."

_And so it begins..._

* * *

_**Fire shifts to firing a constant burn straight behind Canary except Canary goes up the closest pole as the burn follows her up. Canary next vaults over Fire and slows her descent by dragging her leather boots across the ring's fancy red carpeting.

* * *

**_

"There's the proof of why Huntress could never win in a fight against Dinah."

"Now there's a match I might have liked to have seen."

"I already did, but it wasn't for sporting sake… it was because of Mandragora."

* * *

_**Fire takes off into a run straight at Canary except the latter does a headstand to sidestep the headlong rush so Fire follows up with another burn forcing Canary to remain in a constant tumble. However Canary folds into a kneeling position as the burn draws too close to her head so she narrowly saves her flowing yet wavy blond hair.

* * *

**_

"Ooh, looks like she almost singed on that one."

"She still has the footwork advantage as Fire relies too much on her powers."

"Right… well we'll see won't we?"

* * *

_**Fire takes flight and swings around to come flaming down on Canary. She lets off more burn trails forcing Canary to run and possibly repeat the move from earlier.

* * *

**_

"No trick works twice… well usually."

"Right… Dinah will finish this soon enough."

* * *

_**Fire saw through the run to pole then vault trick so spins around just as Canary makes a second vault and a fireball strikes Canary sending her sprawling to the ground. Fire decides to go all attack with no burns this time except Canary is standing.

* * *

**_

"Aw, Beatriz, you saw it, but Dinah's back on her feet."

"I don't like where that's heading…"

"What do you mean now?"

* * *

_**Canary emits a subsonic cry which sends Fire backwards into the barrier and she reverts back to her other look then falls to the floor. The crowd cheers for Canary, and Fire looks up briefly before passing out.

* * *

**_

"She looks really hurt. I should get down there," pips Wally.

"Dinah would not do such a thing especially not like that," insists Oliver.

"Fire can take of herself Wally," remarks John.

"Besides I doubt they want us charging to their rescue and making them look helpless," comments Bruce.

Oliver shrugs and Wally tries to get up again except John uses the ring against his best friend.

"Cut it out GL… I'll say that nickname of yours again!"

"What nickname is that Stewart?"

"Do tell, I believe curiosity is getting the better of us."

"You swore last time you would never use it again!"

"Well quit using that ring on me when it doesn't have anything to do with saving the world!"

John shrugs and apologizes, which Wally accepts yet he gets a craving for more shakes so he goes to make more as if he had forgotten about Fire for the moment. As for Oliver, he goes to find Wally who within moments is on his way back with more shakes except now the program has gone to commercial break.

* * *

The no. 32 flavor is halfway gone by the time the program resumes, but at first even Vic did not expect it to be back on this soon unless something happen to Helena except he is not about to bolt out of here just because he is feeling a glimmer of suspicion. The center platform rises up with Huntress and Black Canary on it except upon closer examination they are briefly in full cuffs that then drop to the floor.

"_**They won't be fighting each other."**_

Vic and Oliver trade looks, which indicate a temporary relief until Roulette speaks again.

"_**Huntress and Black Canary versus two new contenders! Vixen, the beauty with the beast powers, and the Thanagar thrasher... Hawkgirl!"**_

John's jaw drops as he sees both rising up from opposite corners. He is about to use the ring to switch into costume except Wally grips his wrist breaking his concentration.

"You told me to stay put, only fair that you do the same… though I understand you freaking out as both of them are crazy about you though they don't look too happy about Helena or Dinah right now."

Oliver is about to try to leave again except suddenly the manor is in lock down mode.

"Best way to keep you all from bolting unnecessarily is to seal the manor," quips Bruce.

"You are out of your mind Wayne!" retorts Oliver.

"What the heck is the flavor supposed to do anyway?" demands John.

"Lessen inhibitions, aggressive behavior possibly, irrational actions potentially, and other things, but again these were all rumors regarding the flavor… might have been why they kept it hidden though," admits Vic.

"You also forgot to mention addicting… we have consumed more than half of it in less than four hours."

* * *

_**Vixen makes the first move by lunging at Huntress except by ducking Vixen only knocks down Canary. The two tussle on the floor while Shayera with a charged mace goes after Huntress.

* * *

**_

Their attention reverts to the screen to see the four brawling and Vic notes the visual aspect of the flavor's addiction. Some part of their minds scream put a stop to what they are seeing yet another part is like just watch… it'll turn out okay. However this is only theory though he makes a point of pocketing the security system remote from Bruce who in the midst of downing another shake so Bruce completely misses Vic doing this.

* * *

_**Canary and Vixen shift away from the floor after Canary's subsonic cry does nothing to the latter. Shayera comes back mace in hand for a whack except Huntress dodges by going under then throwing Shayera the other way by using her heeled boots as a fulcrum.

* * *

**_

_Helena finally made the connection since Dinah looks far from a mindless ring fighter. This is psychologically worse than Wildcat just giving himself over to the addiction of fighting Roulette's previous incarnation of Metabrawl. They'll have to be quick to remove the hijacked units, maybe even destroy the comlinks especially if Roulette's got any surprises left for them, maybe even… that one would definitely flip Bruce out.

* * *

_

_**Vixen lands on something then stops attacking Canary. Vixen instead now goes after Shayera except Shayera leaps back slamming the former into the barrier surrounding the ring.

* * *

**_

"Ouch, that one really did look like it hurt. I thought that it was a 2-on-2 match now."

"Apparently not… something else is going on and Vic knows something… we'll have to get him…"

"Wait a sec, where did he go? Also where's the security remote?"

* * *

_**Shayera goes after Huntress again except she dodges again then passes her off to Canary goes to work yet no blows land. Vixen comes back in latching and using one her beast powers to bind Shayera, which allows Canary to pull something off Shayera. Canary then crushes it between her fingers.

* * *

**_

"Looks like they are not fighting each other anymore, but something else is going on…"

"No way… uh-oh… guys… I think we might have to…"

"Don't even think about it…"

Bruce makes a run for the grandfather clock. Wally zips after him except when he gets to the clock, Bruce trips him up, and Wally slides face down onto the carpet. Bruce rapidly enters the code on reflex except he forgot that the new security system prevents anyone from entering or leaving by any means without a deactivation code that can only be sent by the remote. He slams his forehead against his palms. John helps Wally to his feet and Oliver just stands there holding the ice cream bucket.

"Where the heck did he go?" asks John.

"Probably in the Batcave… well maybe," suggests Wally.

Bruce turns around to rush back to the other room after less than a few minutes.

* * *

"_**Yes that's really Wonder Woman! Ladies and gentlemen, it is on! Can even these four beautiful bruisers stand up to the Amazon powerhouse herself?"**_

_**All four split off just before Diana smashes the floor where they were all standing seconds ago. Shayera's attempt to sneak up on Diana fails as she gets instantly flipped over hard onto the broken floor. Huntress tries next, no hits either, and then Canary goes after her, same results. Mari tries only Diana shoots up ahead of Vixen's move though Vixen gets out of the way as Diana heads back down to flatten her. Next Vixen channels some other animal to kick Diana towards the barrier pole, which knocks her down for less than a second so both Canary and Huntress go to pin her. Vixen lands next with Shayera not far behind.

* * *

**_

"No way that will hold long," snorts Bruce.

"Hey, just because she's an Amazon, doesn't mean anything much," quips Oliver.

"Sure, keep telling your self that Queen," jests Bruce.

"Right, at least I don't let what I do in costume get in the way of having a love life."

"You are gonna regret that in less than five seconds."

"Bring it on Wayne!"

Bruce decks Oliver though he only stumbles before striking back with a punch of his own. John tries to get between them before it gets out of hand except their next attempts to punch barely miss him as Wally pulls him out of the way.

* * *

_**Diana rises fast then flings all four back to the other side of the ring. Diana heads after Vixen and Huntress. Shayera's mace is doing little to the barrier so Canary steps up and goes subsonic on it as Shayera covers her ears. The crowd starts throwing their cups, cartons, and other disposable garbage at the ring. Shayera takes both Huntress and Canary to the stands then she darts back to help Vixen.

* * *

**_

"Seriously be glad they can't see us acting like this… I mean they got it together down there."

"Y'know, he's right… rare for him… but he really has a point… it has to be the ice cream."

"In that case… I say we make Vic suffer some for this…"

"I almost think he got us into this on purpose… meaning I didn't invite any of you here tonight."

* * *

_**Diana is wasting Vixen and the audience flees when she gets flung into the stands. No tricks or traps work on Diana. Shayera almost hits Vixen with the mace instead then Diana trips her up. The brawl is spilling over into the casino and the property damage is a given.

* * *

**_

"Bats, you really ought to come clean with Diana," suggests Wally.

"You don't see me telling you what to do with women do you?" snaps Bruce.

"I thought we agreed to quit bickering," reminds John.

"I am gonna go dump the ice cream now," calls Oliver from the kitchen.

Bruce, John, and more so Wally race to the kitchen only to find Oliver eating it instead of dumping it.

"You can't seem to tell the truth Oliver at least not right now."

The four tussle over the carton until it rips in half and sends the ice cream flying. Wally races off after it except it flies out of his hands because he went so fast after it. John catches it using a ring construct in the form of a sizable scooper.

One last round of shakes is made and they return to watch whatever is left of the match unless they somehow settled it while the four of them were in the kitchen.

* * *

_**Diana stops short of smashing the skulls of Shayera and Vixen together.

* * *

**_

"Close call there GL, almost thought they were goners," sighs Wally.

"We better get down there, they look pretty beat up," insists John.

Vic back in the guise of Question deactivates the security system figuring he had given Huntress enough time to handle Roulette and release the others from the mind control because unlike the others he spent the time working out how Roulette did this aside from Luthor funneling her cash. She is no technological wizard so someone else had to design the software, the program, and that's just for starters as he narrows down possible individuals who among Luthor's new 'cohorts' had the know how for this feat. The most likely is a man that answers to the name Sonar, which made sense since the comlinks have a range of auditory capabilities so manipulating them on a nanotech level is the most direct option.

The affected users would likely retain no memory of what happen, but undoubtedly Huntress and Canary would tell them if they had not already. As for how they would react when the guys show up even Question could not truly predict how that would play out especially for Bruce.

* * *

Bruce quickly suits up into the Batsuit then lunges over to the new Batwing and Oliver joins him once back in the Green Arrow guise. The Batwing shoots into the shaft then presumably exits the shaft from beneath the promontory, a nice way to hide an entrance/exit, but hardest to spot is the one for the Batboat, which can also functional as a submersible unless the Plexiglas hood ruptures underwater.

Wally pops his costume out of a ring holder as usual. John uses the ring to change into the Lantern guise. Flash races off and Lantern takes flight shortly thereafter. As for Question, he reappears by the Batcomputer anticipating one of the four to radio him soon enough.

"_Hey Question… where we are going anyway?"_ asks Flash.

"Just follow the flying Bat-signal… ahem… follow the Batwing," replies Vic.

"_That means Bludhaven doesn't it Vic?" _asserts Batman.

"Where else… Roulette when wealthy likes to live dangerously and Bludhaven is preferable over Gotham because if she were in Gotham… you might have handled this by now," comments Vic.

"_Just what are you insinuating Question?"_ demands Arrow.

"I thought they took care of things well enough on their own… whatever happen to letting the ladies handle it… I'm sure they'll be happy to see you, but the four of you showing up together well…"

"_He has a point yet again,"_ snorts Lantern.

"_It doesn't matter we'll all be there in less than five anyway,"_ retorts Batman.

The comlink chat ends abruptly, but Vic doesn't mind that, he snickers imagining how the ladies might react though eventually they laugh at the guys despite finding it cute. He doubts Diana would be laughing much. She would just smirk or grin at Batman as if this is further proof that he does have serious feelings for her.

He recalls when Zatanna told him about the time he had come asking for her help after Circe turned Diana into a pig and the idea of Batman being tender to a pig is hard not to laugh at right now.

There is also the story about when he, Diana, Stewart, and Superman were turned into kids by Morgaine Le Fay in order to take down her own son when he took the Amulet of First Magic for himself, which he overheard Superman and Stewart talking about last year.

* * *

He really didn't envy Batman tonight, but that is why he did not let his work get in the way of his feelings for Huntress.

_I wouldn't say he is missing out, but he thinks by keeping her out, he keeps her from being hurt at least by him. The error in that is she hurts because he keeps her away from him. There is no way to avoid hurting others in this life, but there are ways to make it hurt less from time to time._

He nimbly and quietly navigates his way to the library far inside Wayne Manor. This library, he is told, was kept by Martha Wayne and to some extent by Dr. Thomas Wayne, well the medical section of it.

There is one thing that used to make him envy Bruce, but it felt strange to envy someone because of their parents. There is never any doubt that they are giving and loving from any aspect of this manor especially with all the family portraits. He kept his past hidden because when they had come to America they took up the name Sage and so he would keep in some strange way to honor them.

He rarely spoke of them because for all he was told, most of it was not entirely true, but that was long before he could tell between true and deceit. In retrospect, he could see why his mother would lie to some degree about her past. Nobody talks of her kind of profession with dignity anymore because too much of it get clutters by the garbage of places like Vegas and other like cities. The ways things used to be as she always put it to him were so unlike the way it is seen now and she would say his father was a very different man when she met him. He had become more curious about the man she called his father and she often said he had his father's eyes.

He remembers being shown a picture of the man next to a plane with an aviary logo on the side of it. It is not until many years later did he found what unit that man belonged to because all files pertaining to his outfit were heavily classified after the war. His father had been a part of an aviator squadron compromised of pilots from countries occupied by the Axis during the Second World War. He was part of the Blackhawk Squadron and more astonishingly it appears that he had been their leader.

A man known only as Blackhawk except there is plenty speculation surrounding his actual name though none is ever found out.

His mother tells him that his name was Wiktor Szasz. She tells him that his middle name is the American equivalent of Wiktor. He remembers smiling at that and so did she at least he believes she did though she did clearly miss him.

Vic's envy of Bruce was brief as it felt disrespectful to the Waynes' memory as well as his own parents' memory even though he had very little of his own father.

He arrives at the 20th Century section of the manor library.

The book he searches for is a poetry anthology similar to one that his mother had kept except hers was written in her native language, which is one he had not forgotten yet he had not been as much a lingual polyglot as Bruce. He had done his best however to learn a few here and there all the same. However she had to leave her home country for America after the war in order to not fall victim to the terrible things happening in Russia after the war.

* * *

The happiest he ever saw her was when she would talk of his father or to be dancing like she had done in the Moscow Ballet as she had told him long ago as a child. She had the ankles of a dancer and the grace of one too, but she also said eventually she could no longer afford to dance for the sake of dancing as money got tighter after the war so that is what led to her other less likable profession. She did not stay in it long yet nothing is ever short enough at times to prevent one from having distaste in one's mouth forever.

Her poetic favorite in the anthology was the one she recites to him from time to time when she would talk about his father or occasionally she would say it could also be about him, about her little clever yet mischievous Charles Victor Szasz. It is called _Whence Cometh Such Tender Rapture?_ by Marina Tsvetaeva.

* * *

_Whence cometh such tender rapture?  
Those curls--they are not the first ones  
I've smoothened, and I've already  
Known lips--that were darker than yours._

_The stars have risen and faded,  
--Whence cometh such tender rapture?--  
And eyes have risen and faded  
In face of these eyes of mine

* * *

_

He reads it quietly to himself unaware that he had listeners.

Helena, Dinah, Shayera, and Diana had somehow come into the room while he had been lost in reminiscence and reading poetry of all things.

"I don't think I have heard this one before," comments Diana.

"Neither have I," murmurs Dinah.

"I usually don't even read such things," remarks Shayera.

"You'd be surprise what you find, Mama kept quite a collection," sighs Helena.

Batman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern arrive at the library as Flash had gone off probably with Beatriz. Question closes the book before Helena can pull him along by the tie again.

* * *

Shayera winks at Lantern and he smiles just a little though Mari lays a kiss on him knowing that Shayera is watching them for a moment before heading back out. This triangle could keep for a long time. Vic did not want to know how it would turn out because love is one of those tangents that just goes on without a lasting answer except when Helena kisses him.

* * *

Dinah jumps on Arrow's back and he carries like her that to one of the manor's bedrooms. Mari takes a cue from that except she is taking Lantern out of the manor.

Batman and Diana disappear from sight, but nobody could expect anything less with them. He hears them bickering the whole way out of the manor yet Helena comments that she knows how to break into the manor's guest house.

* * *

"You knew what was going on with Roulette just like you knew what was going on when I came to you the first time… _didn't you_?" teases Helena.

"You could say that, but I thought you could use a night on the town without me along. It appears to have paid off if you sitting together with those three is any indication."

"Dinah assuredly, but I wouldn't go so far with the others though."

"Quality over quantity then."

She undoes his tie and then pulls out his belt.

"Were you ever a ballet dancer?"

She eyes him funnily for a moment.

"What made you ask that?"

"My mother was one."

"I took lessons a long time ago… you want to see if I remember?"

"Someday…"

He undoes her utility belt then unhooks the straps between her heeled boots and body suit. The cape goes next as does his trench coat before she unbuttons his golden yellow shirt. Their masks come off next and she looks into his eyes in a way similar to how she did the first time she saw his face in the light.

"You are staring at my eyes again aren't you?" chuckles Vic.

"I love you and I get lost in your eyes… it feels good to me," responds Helena coyly.

Her body suit is taken off and his pants follow thereafter. It would be a long night to say the least and she is definitely in the mood for such a night.

* * *

A/N 1: Happens parallel to the actual events of **Grudge Match** except this part is made up from what I thought Question might do with the mystery ice cream flavor as well as what the side effects of eating it do to the 'testers'.

A/N 2: Each guy plays off the other guys' love lives (or lack thereof in Bruce's case) and jokes made about names.

A/N 3: Vic Sage is also known as Charles Victor Szasz in the comics. His past has been modified by me as JLU never reveals much about him aside from what is known either by Batman or Huntress.

A/N 4: His unnamed mother implies that he is the son of famed Blackhawk Squadron lead pilot Blackhawk. In Blackhawk only appears in **The Savage Time**, he refers to himself as Blackhawk from Poland and Szasz sounds Polish.

A/N 5: His unnamed mother is Russian hence why she met his (presumed) father Blackhawk during the war. I also crafted a back story for her, which portrays her as a dancer yet this is not the whole story... there are always things that people keep to themselves.


	17. Inamoratas

"Who is the stiff?" asks Bullock.

Detective Renee Montoya hesitates to answer given recognition on her part.

"Name is…."

Bullock fails to get why she is so slow identify him so he snatches the wallet out of her hand.

"Ted Grant… the boxer?"

The heavyset detective scratches his forehead and looks oddly at the scene.

"Who bothers whacking a retired boxer? What could motivate that?"

* * *

The damage throughout the apartment reads like a robbery gone wrong, but something tells Montoya otherwise except this is above her area of expertise. Grant had fallen several stories down before landing face up on street level. Montoya did not look forward to alerting Dinah Lance to this death, but somehow Lance did deserve to know before the papers got wind of it. She also knew that Grant is Justice League so it made for an even more bizarre turn especially if his murder is League related though maybe it was not, but she cannot ignore the possibility.

"Any next of kin to notify?" continues Bullock.

"I'll take care of it, you brief Gordon, and get Allen here with the CSU," answers Montoya.

"Sure thing, strange I'd expect Bats at the least to be here for something like this…"

Bullock heads downstairs and Montoya turns at the sound of footsteps coming from the direction of the balcony. She whips out her sidearm and aims as if wondering whether the killer had come back except when she aims her flashlight it reveals the drop in is actually Question. She lowers the flashlight and returns her sidearm to its holster. He closes the distance and simply nods as if going for reassuring at least.

"I almost thought it was either the intruder or Batman dropping in on me like that."

"If it were Batman, I doubt you would have been aiming the weapon, if it were the killer you wouldn't even gotten the gun out of the holster."

"What brings you to this part of town tonight Question?"

"Heard there was a break-in, possible homicide, and the address was a bit of bait. We put ourselves on the line all the time, whether we disguise ourselves like this or dress like those in your profession, either way something comes for us…"

He picks up a picture of Ted Grant with Dinah Lance, Selina Kyle, Helena Bertinelli, and Barbara Gordon. It is curious to see Catwoman in this lineup, but the word on the streets is she playing straight these days. Nobody could ever tell for sure in the past especially with the business with both Enrique El Gancho and Thomas Blake even as both incidents happen prior to Batman's part as a League Founder.

* * *

_El Gancho went from enforcer to smuggler and in doing so caught the attention of Nightwing. Nightwing's interest brought with it the involvement of Batman and Batgirl. Nightwing at that stage is a new costume persona for Grayson who broke away from Batman and Wayne. There is not really a word to describe how that partnership fell apart, but there had been ongoing modus operandi disagreements over the years between them though the presence of Batgirl brought a lasting variable to the situation._

_Grayson had been romantically involved with Barbara during their college years. The two apparently were oblivious to the other being Robin and Batgirl respectively. Batman had definitely found her out early on yet said nothing to either of them about the other's out-of-costume identity. Perhaps a mistake on his part unless he thought the responsibility for that reveal should be in their hands except neither did verbally though suspicions were likely._

_Batman and Robin were trailing Joker at the time except Joker got away with a truckload of devices including a portable radar scrambler. Batman was pinned down during Joker's getaway prompting Robin to go after him alone except the clown got away leaving only some incidental small time crook, Connor, to take the fall. Robin pursues him only to find himself chasing the man to his own residence, to his family, a wife, and a kid, which is not something he thought, would happen yet then Batman bursts in through the window. Batman interrogates Connor in front of his family._

* * *

This as Question could tell was the limit for Grayson as Robin.

* * *

_Barbara likely sensing that the rift between the two had grown in recent months goes to confront Bruce with this problem only to discover that she had been in the company of Batman and Robin for years. Joker however makes his move by setting up the radar scrambler atop the tallest skyscraper in Gotham for the scrambler requires significant altitude to be deadly effective. Batgirl and Batman head out only Grayson arrives to find at least three red herrings._

_The first Barbara's car outside the manor, second Alfred in the Batcave alone, and third the Batmobile is not in its turntable parking spot. Pennyworth undoubtedly did not have to say anything for Grayson to make the connections so he takes off for what would be his last night as Robin._

_His arrival at the base of the skyscraper is timely as Joker had somehow sent Batgirl flying off the side of the skyscraper. She is unconscious as Grayson later relates to Question though Question suspects he is not the first to hear Grayson's side of that night. The Batcycle's rocket seat is what enables Robin to close the distance and in doing so bring Batgirl away from the fatal. The pair return to the roof not long before two airliners are verging on midair collision so Batgirl somehow dupes Joker into firing machine gun rounds into the scrambler then Batman narrowly gets her out the way of the blast._

_After the three have it out. Grayson concedes in retrospect that he had been rather angry with Batman's behavior. It could be perhaps that age had made Grayson see things differently or maybe Wayne also no longer saw the need to consider Grayson's perspective now the once young ward is an adult. Batman had been operating for some time before the Graysons homicide yet in taking in the orphan Dick Grayson he had to think less like a crime fighter and more like a father-mentor. At least this is what some could consider being the case._

* * *

Grayson also relates to Vic an earlier experience while he was still in college when Wayne had become reclusive after Gordon got fatally shot during a bust. Wayne at that stage had almost given up Batman because he had misgivings about continuing to fatally fail those that matter to him. If not for Grayson sticking it to him then Gordon's shooter would have gotten away with the second attempt. One could say that Grayson had to wonder what happen to that Batman as he stood arguing with another Batman on a roof after Joker was taken back to Arkham. However within every hero there are facets that none of want to acknowledge or welcome because there is disbelief that a hero could behave in such ways.

One could also go back further to another tale in Grayson's past where the man responsible for his parents' murder had gotten away Just as the Waynes' killer had done except until the Graysons' killer resurfaces under one of his many aliases.

* * *

_Batman attempts to pursue him alone because the murderer had already taken so much from Grayson starting with his parents. Batman had chosen in the past to save Grayson instead of nabbing Zucco. This time around Zucco would not be so 'fortunate' except Robin once learning that the criminal Batman is pursuing is Tony Zucco elects to join the chase. Batman repeatedly tries to keep Robin away from Zucco for reasons that only are understood in retrospect. Zucco however does not go quietly, which is how Batman sustains a leg injury leaving Robin to handle Zucco almost alone. Robin faces the kill or not kill moment with Zucco in his gloved grip. Robin turns Zucco over to the GCPD and together with Batman they are made to remember why they are out here instead of all the reminders of what they lost along the way.  
_

* * *

Costumes are a disguise, but nothing can truly conceal or heal the scars or motives of a costume's genesis. In the end, all those that don them are still only human and persist all the while with the memories.

* * *

_Arrivals and departures are more than just signs in terminals. In Grayson's departure, Batman is made to reconsider his __modus operandi as is Batgirl yet Tim Drake's arrival forces both to confront what having another Robin would be like. Likewise it comes just ahead of Grayson's return as Nightwing even though the parting of ways had broken much for all those who had a stake in it. Grayson thought he had to leave, Gordon thought she could bridge the gap, and Wayne thought he could salvage the situation, but emotions hit a climax when Robin slugs Batman as Batgirl watches close at hand. Nobody had forgotten, but maybe they could forgive for sake of what they mean to each other despite the intensities of costume heroics._

_The situation with El Gancho's smuggling is that a particular shipment was used by Selina Kyle to secretly bring the Cat's Eye Emerald from South America to Gotham. Nightwing continues to pose as if things were still sour between him and Batman in order to get closer to Catwoman. She behaves as if she is romantically interested in Nightwing while not knowing he did a double blind on her. Batgirl had by that time also taken his old spot as Batman's partner. It likely felt strange to him except he had gone solo yet again he too is human. It turns out more or less as Batman thought it might even as Catwoman tries to flee with the emerald after El Gancho's capture._

_Batman's next run in with Catwoman is when she is fleeing a cult yet again she is duplicitous in order to briefly currying favor with the cult leader Thomas Blake. Catwoman's influence on felines saves Batman's life on that occasion except afterward Kyle vanishes out of the country until she turns up again during the Thanagarian Occupation. She separately aids both Helena and Dinah during that time. Kyle continues a rather erratic streak of altruism since then if her appearance in the photograph means anything._

* * *

The glass in the picture frame is cracked, but many things in the apartment have taken cosmetic damage either on purpose as a diversion. The bedroom reveals more of the same as the sitting room and no trace of who got into Grant's apartment in order to kill him. He can hear Montoya talking to someone else who is entering through the front door. It is Dinah Lance and she did not make this trip here alone. She had come in the company of Selina Kyle and Helena. He had been anticipating Dinah though not Helena and certainly not Selina, but the three of them had been in the cracked picture frame he had seen in the other room. Grant often found himself in the company of attractive women yet so did Wayne, it is not something to be jealous of because he had already had the company of the only woman that is exceptionally attractive on many levels to him.

"Renee, what happen here? Where is Ted?" asks Dinah.

"He is dead Dinah, we found his body on sidewalk earlier and as you can see..." responds Renee.

Question crosses back into the room to see the faces of the four women.

"His apartment's been ransacked… no sign who broke in or who killed him either," finishes Question.

"What is he doing here?" hisses Selina.

Question ignores Selina for the moment.

"I heard the scanner chatter about a murder and a break-in at this complex's address. I remembered that Wildcat kept a space here so I thought to check on him though of course I was too late to do anything about this," continues Question.

"All we know at this point is that he was injured badly before smacking into the sidewalk after the fall. As for who or why, it is under investigation," comments Renee.

Question figures he is lingering too long so makes his exit out the door then towards the elevator yet Helena follows him out instead of staying here with Dinah and Selina. Dinah at first almost sounds like she would want Helena to stick around, but realizes that there is not much else to do here so she speaks to Renee briefly before going after the pair as they still waiting for the elevator. The delay is that Detective Allen is arriving with the CSU. Allen walks pass them without a word knowing that Dinah was quite close to the victim. He had a long night ahead of him and Montoya could handle the statements if any had to be made.

Question steps into the elevator car, Helena goes next and Dinah scoots in the last. The doors close making a familiar groan at least to Dinah and Helena. Question had taken a different way up other than the elevator.

* * *

"If you find anything at all, I want to know," murmurs Dinah.

"I'd expect nothing less from you besides I would have done so anyway," responds Question.

"We'll find who did this, you count on that Dinah," reassures Helena.

The doors part to reveal the lobby vacant of any signs of activity.

"Take my car, get her home or to Queen, and I'll bring your bike back to your place later."

Dinah smiles weakly and Question briefly gives the somber looking blond a quick hug. He passes the keys to Helena and the two depart in the Pontiac. He mounts Helena's motorcycle and speeds off to check on some of the others who might also be targets for whoever went after Wildcat. If the notion that someone is targeting costumes in a way different from Cadmus is true then he had to warn some directly instead of just passing a message along.

* * *

Whoever had set this in motion is one fewer with Luthor's disappearance following the fourth Apokolipitian incursion led by the resurrected Darkseid. Luthor's obsession with reconstituting Brainiac had been the only thing that kept him with Grodd's organization. The organization as Question understood it split into two distinct factions one that went with Luthor and the other that sought to restore Grodd to leadership, but Grodd lost except who is in charge from that point onward becomes moot with Darkseid's return.

Luthor and his followers had come back to Earth to warn the League and just barely in time to boot too. Multiple boom tube vortexes open world wide and so in less than a year the expanded League rolls into action to face another Omega Level Alert. This time however they are without J'onn J'onzz on station since he took a leave of absence, which left Mr. Terrific to direct team deployments in his place. Superman had not been keen for Leaguers to work along side Luthor's followers except Batman elects to call a truce of sorts because it is not the time to be bickering with Darkseid attempting to conquer Earth again.

The _**Daily Planet**_ nearly got run into the ground as Darkseid almost predictably makes personal planet fall atop the _**Planet**_. Superman, Batman, and Luthor are part of the team that met him on the rooftop. Superman later relates how Batman had somehow been able to dodge the Omega Beams by agility and by pushing a Parademon in the way. Whatever really happened, it probably did confuse the dictator yet Darkseid's center focus remains Superman. The latter as seen on the news cut loose on the former yet Darkseid had another ace to pull on the Man of Steel until Luthor reappears with the Anti-Life Equation though as for how he found it when Darkseid had been unable to do for ages is a mystery.

However whatever the act itself appears to remove both Darkseid and Luthor from the fight. Darkseid's disappearance leads to a mass retreat by the Apokolipitian forces worldwide. Question recalls a bit of confusion at the suddenness of their retreat yet it fit with their sudden appearance earlier that same day. He got some laughs out of running down Parademons with his Pontiac, but tonight he did not feel like laughing in the least, not with Wildcat's demise. It would be a bit of guess work to track down Captain Atom, but if someone went after Wildcat, they might go after Atom. As for what exactly made Question consider that, it had more to do with the fact that Atom had chosen to remain firmly loyal to League after the hearings that all, but shut down Cadmus.

* * *

Rockefeller Air Base and its attached R&D facilities are vacant now. The reworking of the military budget as well as the findings of the new global agency had shut down countless outposts kept by Cadmus including Rockefeller yet tonight Captain Atom is revisiting old stomping grounds. Question cuts the engines of the motorcycle and continues in Atom's direction on foot except something else is likewise going on here. Atom is met by Betty near the ruins of the compound that housed the chambers remade him from Captain Adams to Captain Atom.

"It appears she did survive the recovery efforts," murmurs Question to himself.

* * *

_Several years ago Rockefeller Air Base was one of the top level aviation and astrophysics facilities in America. The Soviets 'lost' the Cold War, but fear of the unknown never wanes nor does the hindsight excuse that one needs to be ready should there ever be another war. Chatter about deterrents, about weapons more powerful than atomic bombs and nuclear warheads. This is the mandate of the program that made the experimental process of harnessing all forms radiation, but the process still requires refinement according to even the lead scientists on the program. However many are impatient for results including a certain Colonel Wade Eiling so as leverage he investigates several candidates to test the procedure on except few have the kind of damning leverage he is seeking until files about Captain Nathaniel Adams and his fiancée Betty Sans Souci come across the Colonel's desk._

_He found his man so he goes to Adams directly to 'appeal 'to the recently promoted Captain Adams. Adams told the insistent Colonel that he had to think it over especially with his impending marriage to Betty yet Eiling also reminds him that he knows of Betty's political leanings among other things. Adams did not cave at first because it felt like a personal threat, there was no other way to read it, and even then Eiling had a reputation for ruthlessness. He usually got what he is after so sooner or later Adams would have to go along._

_The reveal of the extent of Souci's allegiances and affiliations puts him in dire straits. He did not believe she ever go as far as Eiling's allegations suggest, but of course certain elements of both political and military arm of the government do not share the sentiment. Eiling got his man and Souci lost hers. The procedure was meant to appear to be a failure as she and Eiling both saw him 'disintegrate' after he went into the chamber wearing the alleged anti-radiation suit. In truth the suit was made to absorb the energy then harness it, not just harness it as both were told by Eiling beforehand in order to clarify the design specs._

_The further assertion is the design would allow workers to speed up another protocol set to help reclamation of lands deadened by nuclear fallout such as Chernobyl. A further deception to be sure, but she had thought it a practical application given her stance against highly destructive weaponry yet too late did she realize that Eiling had been deceiving her as well as Adams. However she thought at the time that the procedure first had somehow hit a snag, a catastrophic fail that took Adams' life, and she could probably to this day remember her anguished cries as he appears to die inside the chamber._

_After his phony funeral, she left for Canada as her dispensation status is taken away with his 'passing' though less than a year after she heard rumors about some living government weapon code named Atom after the atomic bomb most likely._

_Adams becomes Atom._

_Atom learns of her proactive involvement in purported terrorist organizations, which is decidedly disheartening yet his romantic involvement with her is a secret that Eiling and his confederates keep to themselves as leverage for him to remain loyal to their policies._

_Her terrorist affiliations eventually dissolve, some reorganize, some become more fanatical, and the rest recede from the scene knowing that they possess neither time nor resources to combat organizations that can make living weapons. She understood their skepticism, she did share it, but still she never had given up speaking out against it. Her vocal opposition at times led to some more violent incidents, which is how she ends up doing time for riots, for the occasional hostage situations, and scarce usage of low grade bombs as scare tactics._

_Wars are no longer just between nations because of the era of nations is fading yet as always there is still someone left to fight. The dynamics are what, when, where, and who, which only leaves the question of how the wars will be fought once all the dynamics are in place like aspects of a clock._

_Atom kept a pocket watch that Souci had given Adams as an anniversary present._

_Plastique wears a jewel encrusted timepiece given to Souci by Adams as an engagement gift._

_The two would not directly cross paths until Plastique is part of Task Force X and Atom is part of the Justice League.

* * *

_

Adams and Souci would not meet again face to face until tonight near the ruins of the test chamber where Adams began his journey to Atom and eventually Souci started her way to Plastique.

Question closes the distance just as somebody fires on them.

"Adams, get her out of here now!"

Both look up to see him waving at them though they barely hear his shouts. They disappear in columns of blue tinted lights, likely Metro Tower or Watchtower teleport beams hopefully.

* * *

Deadshot emerges furious that his aim is made useless by the disappearing act.

"You'll have to do better than Lawton."

"They should have let us finish you off before your girlfriend and that alien had come for you."

"You are amoral gun for hire… sure Flagg got you out of a death sentence, but now you are still a wanted killer. Souci made her call and it is not you so get over it."

"Sure it was wise letting Bertinelli roam in your car with Lance?"

Deadshot looks around uncertain as to where Question went to after that last declaration. He is not left to wonder long as he feels his arm bent twisted behind his back a split second later.

"What are you referring to? Those associates of yours are attempting to spring Mandragora or that you thought you could have someone plant a transducer trigger in my car?"

"How did you know about either of those possibilities?"

"I'm an information handler… how else do you think I found out what happen to the four including you that had become part of Task Force X under Flagg or how I had found out where Mandragora would be going when his son arrived stateside?"

"Well you can either keep twisting my arm or save your Italian w…"

Deadshot howls in pain as Question cracks the assassin's wrist.

"It'll hurt, you'll need a splint, but you won't be shooting anyone for awhile unless you want to learn to shoot the wrist launcher with your other arm… oh wait… check that…"

Deadshot buckles when hearing his other wrist get badly twisted and he refrains from howling a second time.

* * *

Question makes a fast exit then comlink calls Dinah to be sure she and Helena are not still in the car. It turns out she is not, she is with Queen at her place in Bludhaven, but Helena is not.

"Where is Helena?"

_**"She is on her way back to your car now…"**_

"One of you stop her… someone might have put a thermal transducer in it."

_**"You are serious aren't you?"**_

"I just ran afoul of Deadshot… I trust that's convincing enough!"

_**"Ollie…we got to get down to Helena and fast…"

* * *

**_

Question pushes the bike to the max to get it onto the highway, but he is still over an hour away on the bike. Too impatient he pulls off to the shoulder and calls for a teleport to Dinah's location in Bludhaven except she left her earpiece comlink in Queen's penthouse so that is where he materializes after pulling Helena's bike to a dead stop. He would find someway to reimburse Queen later for the stains, but Queen could afford to have the cleaning done anyway. As he reappears, he hears a boom from outside the penthouse. He dashes outside to the patio and stares down to the street where the flaming wreck of the Pontiac sits smoldering on asphalt.

"No, no, no!"

He hears the hum another teleport beam behind him and Queen reappears with an unconscious Helena in his arms with Dinah directly next to them. He exhales sharply and flops down on the patio deck.

"Easy there, take a breather, we got to her in time," sighs Dinah.

"Guess I owe you one now Dinah," exhales Question.

"We're all alive… so I'd call it even for now," remarks Dinah.

"Sorry about the bike on the carpet," continues Question.

Oliver spots Helena's motorcycle inside.

"I can afford it… besides in your position I wouldn't have waited for someone else to save Dinah."

Oliver gently lies Helena down in one of the penthouse bedrooms then gives her some light covers given that it is warmer in here than it is outside. The local firefighters handle the blaze from the blown apart Pontiac. Oliver offers to purchase him a replacement for the Pontiac, but for now it appears even to Oliver that Question seems more mindful of what happen to people, not vehicles tonight.

* * *

None of the four sleep all too well so occasionally one or two are up then notice the rest are haphazardly attempting to sleep. However Helena tends to be the one sleeping the most of the four if only because she caught the car blowup from behind as Oliver had barely gotten her away just before it went up. It left him with a bump on the head, but she took it slightly worse than he did so Question kept trying to be watchful except Dinah kept insisting to him to get some sleep.

Whenever Dinah woke, which did happen on and off throughout the night, she would check on both of them.

Helena finally wakes to find Question sleeping in a recliner near the bed she is in so she quietly heads out of the bedroom to notice Dinah coming back from the kitchen.

"Welcome back Sleeping Beauty…" chuckles Dinah.  
"At least I got you back before midnight Cinderella…" snorts Helena.

"How ya feeling?" asks Dinah.

"Like somebody set off a bomb next to my skull."

"Pretty close to that if not for Ollie pulling you away… it might done you in."  
"Vic looks like a wreck…"

"He almost thought you were dead… another few seconds and you might have been…"

"Guess I owe you both one now."

"Funny he said the same earlier."

"What did you tell him?"

"Said we are all alive… call it even."

"Works for me… what are you drinking?"

"Warm milk… you want some?"

"Sure… anything warm sounds nice even when it is already kind of cozy in here."

Two women drink plenty of warm milk for the next hour or so before somehow falling asleep in the parlor room, which looks like a sitting room. Question finds them there after having a slight panic attack when not seeing Helena sleeping in bed.

He gets out of costume and then gently covers both women over with thin blankets. He uses furniture cushions as pillows then goes back to sleep after checking the security system over.

He had known long ago that he is not a morning person and that seems unlikely to change ever. All the same, he finds that perhaps he too made some friends tonight despite the dreary circumstances that led him to this point.

* * *

It is a gray morning that he wakes to again and to smell of cooking too.

"Morning Sleepyhead," murmurs Helena.

He puts his arms around her waist and kisses her on the neck with Dinah watching from inside the open kitchen.

Oliver pulls a gesture of his own on Dinah and she affectionately brushes her fingers against his beard.

"So what's cooking?" asks Oliver.

"You'll see soon… Helena still need some help back here."

Helena gives Vic some abrupt kisses before going back to the kitchen and Oliver walks over with a pair of mugs with hot chocolate in them.

"Figures you have any kind of beverage imaginable," chuckles Vic.

"Just drink it, enjoy life a bit, sure last night was close, but we are alive," remarks Oliver.

"Yeah, Deadshot's appearance still bugs me just a bit. I thought Task Force X was shut down."

"He could be back to freelance."

"Shows up at Rockefeller at the same time as Atom and Plastique are there?"

"I'll concede it's a coincidence and you don't trust them, them being coincidences is all."

"Right, any word from Atom?"

"Terrific told me that he and Souci are staying in the Metro Tower for the time being."

"That's a relief… thought maybe someone else got them."

"Who else uses the same model teleporters as the League?"

"I don't know yet if any, it just seems convenient that somebody knocks off Wildcat and then possibly the same party sends Deadshot after Atom and Plastique."

"You can't be serious thinking someone new or old is putting hit contracts out on us."

"Take away the impossibilities and one is left with the improbabilities that could ring true."

Oliver sips his hot chocolate and so does Vic gulp some of his too.

"Switch off from your Question mode for breakfast at least."

"I'll do my best… some habits are resilient no matter how one tries to…"

"I grasp where you are going with this… so let's see what the ladies have cooked up for us."

The four settle down to eat like friends and couples getting together for the holiday season.

Of course neither man sees the mistletoe hanging from the tip of the chandelier in the dining room.

The snow starts to stream down the gray sky blotching out the dreary atmosphere outside.

There are card invitations to the Solstice Ball at Wayne Manor in Dinah's mail stack. She reads through it with Helena and the pair decides to go dress shopping for the occasion. Vic and Oliver both caution them against going out in this weather and with what happen last night except both give them looks. Both back down yet the ladies present a compromise that they come so all can shop together.

It means that even Vic Sage cannot get out of having a suit for the Ball as Dinah had got a personal invite with the option to bring two guests plus Oliver. Both then note they had somehow gotten themselves under the mistletoe. Neither objects to a holiday kiss, why should they with such loving women in their lives despite the perils of their shared profession.

Vic puts his qualms aside as the ladies lead the way to a limo to take them to Bergduffs in Gotham.

* * *

The four encounter Barbara, Diana, and Shayera in the Woman's Department.

Helena and Dinah go off with Barbara. Shayera pulls Oliver along as she apparently is seeking some advice about something though Vic figures maybe she thinks Vic needs to talk to Diana.

"Bruce told me about what happen last night or at least what he heard from Commissioner Gordon on the subject," comments Diana.

"An unfortunate turn for Grant. I trust somebody found Lawton where I left him even with a few twists in him," remarks Vic.

"He did try to harm others including Helena last night so in a way he had it coming."

"I usually pride myself on just scaring people with what I know, to even twist wrists is a new."

"When somebody you care about is in danger, you can't always play it close to the vest."

"I know… but I did wonder if it had anything to do with what happen last year."

"You mean when you were…"

"Yes…"

"It could be… but those were intense times too."

He looks down briefly at the carpeting noticing that they kept the same pattern after all these years. His mother bought a dress here once.

"So what brings us all to Bergduffs?" teases Diana.

"Ladies thought of dress shopping for the Solstice Ball," answers Vic.

"Anything else… what could get Oliver or even you to come along?"

"Dinah said that Helena and I could join her and Oliver when they go."

"So you are here to do suit shopping?"

"That's the idea…"

Barbara returns arm in arm with Dinah and Helena as does Shayera with Oliver.

Barbara spots someone on the far side of the floor, which is where the escalator to the Men's Department. She heads off in that direction though Vic already can tell who is up here to meet with her. Dick Grayson is also caught up in holiday shopping too.

_At least there is someone to look after her thankfully.

* * *

_

Diana and Shayera head off towards the evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

Dinah pulls Oliver in the direction of satin and silk dresses.

Helena goes arm in arm with Vic to browse through racks of strapless dresses.

"Guess I'll be seeing you dance before this year is out."

"Looks like it… so which colors do you… the lilac, the plum or the violet?"

"I'd say lilac."

Both carry some dresses towards the dressing rooms. She comes in and out of the changing room in each of the dresses. She appears to be gauging her pick against his eyes or so he thought. The dress is eye 'candy', all that matters is her safety, but every so often there is need of a sign that life is still fun, still living.

After she goes back into the dressing room, he plops down on a wrap around couch nearby and Oliver takes a seat next to him after Dinah heads into the dressing room too.

* * *

Diana and Shayera enter together. Both might be of the mind to at least get a holiday twirl with the men that deny their feelings counting above things like mortality, not good enough, and destiny.

There is no 'the' future no matter what Bruce and John saw during their time travel jaunt. How Vic knows of this well he had overhead Batman and Lantern talking about something in the commissary last year and there is a disparity that Lantern had not come into the commissary with a head cut. Other things did not fit right, which only got further verification after the appearance of Carter Hall aka Hawkman. Shayera went almost becomes involved with Hall who actually turns out to be the almost disgraced archaeologist Joseph Gardner.

Vic watches the ladies sort of display some of the dresses in front of him and Oliver. Helena plops down onto his lap and Dinah pulls Oliver to his feet.

* * *

Shayera had been through much in her time on Earth and had done enough to go from hero to pariah then back again. If not for Fate and Inza, then she would have become truly lost after wandering aimlessly after leaving the League and Stewart. He understood why she left League because she had done things she found unforgivable except she had become unwilling to let them die just so her people might have a shot at defeating the Gordanians. Thanagar as he understood it lost the war at some point after their attempt to occupy Earth in order to make it part of the Hyperspace Bypass Chain.

Two planets, two organizations, and more so two men, a truly unenviable position yet when it had come down to it, she made her stand, for better or worse, thus had to endure the consequences for that decision. He could grasp her tiredness with having to weather a hostile world alone because no matter what planet one calls home, there remains a yearning to matter and make connections, even if Vic himself did not see that until he met Helena.

As for Diana, she had come to admire the qualities of Batman and by her own means found out the man behind the mask then somehow fell in love with him for better or worse. She had chosen him even when there was still rampant chatter that she would be better off with Superman, but of course Superman or rather Clark Kent had chosen Lois Lane. Something clearly happen between Bruce and Diana except he had went away from it after briefly embracing it.

* * *

_The costume is only a half-life... the rest looks like this... no great revelation... no cerebral monologue... the struggle for our humanity in a world of chaos._

Vic feels the reassuring warmth of her arms and inhales smell of her perfume.

_There is life, there is love, and there is death. She has long since become my inamorata._

_

* * *

_

A/N 1: This is post-**Destroyer**. Mentions of **Starcrossed**, **Once and Future Thing**, **I Am Legion**, **Shadow of the Hawk**, **Ancient History**, and **Alive!**.

A/N 2: Flashbacks TNBA episodes **You Scratch My Back**, **Cult of the Cat**, and **Old Wounds**. Mention for BtAS **Robin's Reckoning** too. Bergduffs was featured in TNBA vignette episode **Holiday Knights**. This chapter is likewise set during December.

A/N 3: Grant's death takes the story back to a dark atmosphere as does the car explosion that slightly injures both Helena and Oliver if not Question suspecting that Deadshot or one of his new associations is responsible for that attempt. Deadshot's insinuation tipped him off and it was also part of why Question gave him a parting reminder of why he should watch where he aims from now on.

A/N 4: Grant's death scene is patterned after one from Watchmen. Likewise the whole holiday atmosphere stands as a contrast to it.

A/N 5: Inamorata is Italian for female lover. Inamorato likewise is male lover.


	18. Synapses

Alfred Pennyworth is doing more than just answering doors tonight as it is evening of the Solstice Ball, which marks the first day of winter. However he does curiously manage to be at the foyer when several particular guests arrive at the front door. There is an irrepressible smile on his face to see so many couples in attendance and even Helena could tell that the appearance of a certain dark haired beauty had almost given the old butler to grin. Pennyworth is definitely a sly one on this occasion or maybe he is just glad someone is here to put Wayne on the spot and not let up if she asks him for a dance.

"Do come in, plenty of others are already here, but it is bound to fill up more before the night as out. Do leave your coats and outerwear wherever you like, but there are hired hands for that task."

Helena could not remember a time that she ever wore a dress quite like this one, but it did look like ones her mother used to wear, ones that her father could not take his eyes off at all. She pulls Vic's arm around her waist line and together they slowly walk along the foyer then follow the crowd in the direction of the recently renovated ball room. The heels were a little higher than she was used to, but she felt could manage otherwise there is always taking to a corner table and hoping that Vic would remember how much she likes mixing foot rubs with footsies.

It also felt different to briefly wear leg warmers over her new sheer stockings, which was also something she rarely if ever wore yet she is in a mood to look and feel sensual because it is her holiday party with Vic. She also spots one of the Iceberg Lounge's former singers. She had been on stage the night Batwoman made her appearance there.

* * *

Montoya at that time had been given a new assignment with one of department's new transfers, Detective Crispus Allen, late of Metropolis SCU whereas Bullock gets the other new department regular Detective Sonia Alcana.

This is also about the time that Kathy Duquesne comes into Bruce Wayne's life.

Dr. Roxanne Ballantine also had gotten a position at Wayne Enterprises for her advances in metallurgy.

The three women for reasons of their own had a stake against three different criminals.

Kathy had long nursed a grievance against her father crime boss Carleton Duquesne. Roxanne had a bone to pick with Oswald Cobblepot. Sonia had long sought to nail Rupert Thorne. Kathy's mother took a shot meant for Carleton. Roxanne's fiancé was setup by Cobblepot for a theft that Cobblepot orchestrated to frame said fiance. Thorne had Sonia's parents shop burned to the ground for refusing to pay the protection racket, but of course in the 'old days' Gotham's legal system was still full of holes as well as graft.

The master touch of the Batwoman 'saga' as the media would refer to it in retrospect is that Batwoman had been the vigilante persona for not one woman, but three.

Cobblepot, Thorne, Duquesne, and the late comer Bane all got jail time for the heavy arms' manufacturing consortium that had gotten funding by one of the paramilitary factions in Kasnia, which had as of late still been caught in the grips of civil war.

Alcana left the force because Gordon could accept working with a 'vigilante', but not on the GCPD payroll. He did hate to cut her loose because having cops as dedicated as Alcana remains a rare asset. Ballantine eventually marries Kevin and they left Gotham behind to start over elsewhere. As for Kathy, she has kept close ties with Bruce though whether she knows he is Batman is still a mystery, but women do enjoy puzzles to some degree at least Helena thought so.

* * *

Zatanna is dancing with Jason Blood, which is a curious turn, but again nobody can control what compels an attraction though they could just be here separately with notions to have a fun holiday in mind.

Barbara is arm in arm with Dick Grayson, so one had to wonder just a little were they looking to get back together or just here as friends. Either way curiosity has a way of cropping up from time to time.

Bruce is in the midst of a crowd of women including the again single Veronica Vreeland and the reappearing Kathy Duquesne.

_Now all we need is Selina and Diana… I almost wonder how you will get out of that one Bruce._

Diana enters in a long flowing red evening gown with King Faraday at her side. The two had become friendly close after the summit in Scandinavia.

_It could be nothing, but it is doubtful that Bruce sent the invitations himself so that leaves Alfred's handiwork as usual. Try all you like Pennyworth, but the only way Bruce does anything with Diana is if he is of the mind to do it though her dancing with King could be a motivator._

John arrives with Mari.

It is also the first time many have seen the face of Scott Free though plenty had seen Barda's face already including Clark who had come with Lois.

_I'm sure Lois knows she's here with Superman otherwise it might be embarrassing when Barda calls him Kal._

Shayera appears next with both Wally and Beatriz.

_Linda Park is crazy about Flash, but of course he is not here as Flash, wonder if he told Linda the secret identity thing though knowing Wally he probably make his usual crack that chicks dig the secret identity thing._

Helena snorts a little as Vic hints to the dance floor so he takes her by the arm and leads her out. It is a winter time waltz that plays as she pulls him closer to her. As they twirl about, Helena notices that Diana and King are dancing in plain view of Bruce who as usual betrays almost no sign of jealousy unless one counts that he is infrequent glances. He appears to be trying to focus on the crowd of women close to him.

The waltz tune ends as the former Iceberg Lounge singer Cheryl Valais sings the number she made famous at the Iceberg. One that Kathy noticeably remembers as she leads Bruce to the floor where he refrains from noticing Diana in the arms of King Faraday.

"You know we never did dance for this one the second time we had a night at the Iceberg," comments Kathy.

"Well the first time, I did think I rubbed you the wrong way about going there considering who owned the place at the time," answers Bruce.

"I was thinking of buying it though I thought you could just easily afford it with your money, the respectable Mr. Wayne buying a nightclub, what a headline sensation that would be."

"If you need extra money for the buy I'd be willing to help you with that."

Diana looks away when hearing them talk about the Iceberg, but of course King doesn't see the connection or consider asking why there is a very slight flush in his date's face.

* * *

"You lip reading or reading body language Helena?" probes Vic.

"How did you guess?" teases Helena.

"I know the signs, watch me long enough and you probably got them from me."

"Yeah, you betcha, never can fool you can I?" whispers Helena.

"I also heard that Ricky Navarro is here," murmurs Vic.

"The guy famous for Am I Blue?" giggles Helena.

The song wraps and the guests applaud Valais' performance. Tim Drake is already talking to her, probably asking for an autograph, as if he did not have a few already, but somehow it is not without a cuteness factor.

Vic puts her through a spin after catching strains of a variant of Tango playing and Oliver had come onto the floor with Dinah.

"Time for a few rounds on the floor eh Vic?" jests Oliver.

"You are on Ollie boy," cracks Vic.

Dinah gets a slightly amused look on her face then physically reminds Oliver to watch his footwork. Helena takes the lead away from Vic for the moment though he appears to not mind for the moment until he abruptly takes the lead back and tilts her back before giving her a bit of a sway. She pulls her way back by way of his tie with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Where did you learn that one?"

"Remember my mother was a dancer right?"

"Right, figures you might remember it."

Helena gets the feeling that people are watching them than they are watching Dinah and Oliver. She sharply exhales then turns with her hips facing Vic. Something about them being this close keeps giving her a rise. He twirls her around again as the music changes to something softer more like a piece that is entirely done with pipes, violins, and maybe a piano. They are literally skin against skin except for their evening attire. She intermittently notes the looks that women have on their faces and men casually acknowledge if they are too busy with a drink or a woman on their arm. The instrumental strains finish as she pulls him towards a corner table, her feet did hurt some so she settles into a seat, and he almost instinctively looks as if he senses her next move.

"Not such a bad dancer yourself babydoll," coos Helena.

"Just get lost in the music and stick close to something warm," remarks Vic.

_I'd thank your mother if I ever meet her…. Though for now remind me how good you are with your hands._

As he rubs her feet, she occasionally prods him with her toes so he rubs her more above the ankles. She smiles then shifts herself onto his lap and kisses him.

"New lipstick tonight… tastes like strawberries… and kiwi," murmurs Vic.

"You sure you know what you taste don't you?" sighs Helena.

Ricky Navarro is the next act and almost predictably kicks off with Am I Blue.

Bruce is avoiding the looks from many quarters though from Zatanna and Diana in particular.

* * *

Barbara and Dick take seats near Helena and Vic.

"Bet that song is causing some embarrassment for Bruce," comments Dick.

"Well he did it sing so that Circe would take the spell off Diana," reminds Barbara.

"Sure Babs… but you ever heard him sing before?" queries Dick.

"You mean Bruce or Batman?" replies Barbara.

"Is there a _difference_?"

"Could be… but no I never heard him sing before… he hums to himself sometimes though."

"Maybe we should ask Alfred."

The butler makes a stop by the table to offer champagne. Barbara is the quickest to take a glass then Dick follows suit. Helena takes one too, but Vic declines for now.

"You want a sip?" asks Helena.

"Mind telling me the flavor?" probes Vic.

"I'd think its strawberry like, but you're the flavor go-to around here."

Vic sips some and declares that flavor is possibly mixing with the lipstick 'taste'. Helena had after all left lipstick marks on the champagne glass.

"Not that you mind, it is like getting a taste of me with a pinch of champagne too."

"Right…"

He kisses her bare shoulder and she catches herself making a low moan though it sounds more an mmm.

Barbara giggles and Dick puts his hand over his mouth to avoid making an out loud chuckle possibly.

"Sounds like you two would rather be somewhere else," suggests Barbara.

"Plenty of room upstairs though I doubt Bruce would like that," interjects Dick.

Vic almost glares at Dick and Helena just winks at Barbara.

"When you are in love, it doesn't matter if an entire room can say you being affectionate."

"If only Bruce could get over himself then maybe he wouldn't keep restraining himself like he does."

* * *

Bruce appears to be asking Diana to dance, which King notices yet allows figuring it is just a dance. Nothing is just anything when you put those two together in a room, but anyone who had been in the League or around them long enough could tell this.

Alfred heads towards the far side of the room where an older gentleman is arriving with a similarly gracefully aged female companion.

"Now who do you imagine that is?" queries Barbara.

"That's just Simon Trent, he played the Gray Ghost. Bruce had all his tapes of the show converted to DVD recently though for novelty it looks like he kept the tapes," answers Dick.

"Who is the pretty lady with him?"

"Kyra Silvis, her family changed their surname when they came to America."

"Never understood why a last name should be such a bother."

Helena notices Vic almost frown at a turn in the conversation.

"Hey baby, something wrong?" whispers Helena.

"I need a breather," murmurs Vic.

She gets off his lap and he slowly walks away as if almost knowing where he is heading though she had no idea where, so she sits back down for a moment.

"You might want to watch what you talk about sometimes."

"I never saw him to be bothered about such things before."

"Maybe he hides it better than you think."

"If he doesn't reappear in a few maybe somebody should check on him."

Helena slides her high heels back on then goes looking for Vic though she stops to ask Alfred something.

"You see where Vic went?"

"I believe he went towards the den, the one that has the portrait that Master Bruce is rather fond of."

* * *

She heads towards the suggested room and finds him in there with his tie loosened quite a bit.

"You okay baby?" whispers Helena.

"I never usually like that query, the answer to it is uncertain from one moment to the next, and of course when Grayson was talking about Trent's date…" sighs Vic.

"What about her name," asks Helena

"Last name changes were all too common by the start of the 20th Century, but they happened even before that. If one were forced to change names for the sake of appealing to authority or making pronunciation simpler then what is the value of the name then?" remarks Vic.

"You told me your last name is Sage… that wasn't always your last name was it?"

"My mother told me my real name as a child, but she still told me to answer only to Sage."

"So what is it really then?"

He looks at her curiously for a moment as if deciding something so she let him decide on his own.

"My full name is Charles Victor Szasz. My father was Polish hence Szasz and as for mother she was from Soviet Russia. What exactly happen between them aside from my conception is unknown to me. I was not overly curious because I was more a romantic in my notions about my parents as a kid."

She felt uncertain how to answer him, sometimes he had that effect on people even her, and he moves away from the fire then plops himself down on a sofa that faces the manor's exterior.

"So now you have heard more about my past. Not much of a puzzle anymore."

"Don't sell yourself short baby, you still surprise me. What matters is the man I love, no matter what name he uses for himself."

He rests his head on her shoulder after she sits down next to him.

After awhile she takes his head in her hands and kisses him.

"You feel up to dancing Vic?" asks Helena.

"Back to the ballroom then," answers Vic.

"We can dance anywhere," responds Helena.

"No music in here."

"Wrong again," jests Helena.

She starts singing _La Vie En Rose_ in Italian. It is a slow dance with only the fireplace crackling for illumination. She is glad he is too lost in her singing to notice that Oliver and Dinah briefly passing by after probably noticing their absence from the ballroom.

_Such a hidden sensitivity, one wonders how he handles being that way, but it carries a dualism to it. It can be so intoxicating yet fragile especially when something gets to him in ways he appears to have never had to share before. _

She continues to hum after finishing the song and he appears to perk up some.

_I have rarely seen him unbend though I suppose he doesn't like to be seen in that state and I already had glances of that last year._

"Let's return to the floor."

She smiles and gracefully follows his lead back to the ball room where the couples continue to dance the night away.

* * *

Bruce is still on the floor with Diana and King is talking to Shayera who apparently had little luck prying John away from Mari. As for Clark, he has Lois leaning against his broad chest and quite happy with herself.

Wally is in the midst of eating and Beatriz is doing almost the same apparently dancing with the fastest man alive does indeed work up an appetite though Beatriz is almost famous for her knowledge of exotic dances particularly ones that are native to Brazil. She is rumored to be a fan of the rumba and the mambo, which is more famously known for the Caribbean Islands.

Helena giggles when hearing the new song, which is from a movie that Dinah told her about, something called _**The Wedding Date**_. She found the plot amusing in that the woman found herself falling for a man she hired to be her date to her younger sister's wedding. It was definitely a relationship charged film if she understood Dinah's synopsis. Helena had gone to Dinah for help getting ready for the ball, not that she did not think she could prep herself alone, but in a way the two had become close friends in the past few months aside from wasting Roulette's operation in Bludhaven.

She slightly shifts her hips as if aiming to entice Vic to grab them on the way out to the dance floor. His spirits appear to be lifting as the music blocks out everything except the dance. She almost hears herself panting as they get intimate by body to body contact in the dance.

* * *

"You don't have to hold it all in anymore, if we are going to be honest or as honest as we can, nothing must be held back because you have been there for me… so let me do the same," whispers Helena.

He spins her around and pulls her in close again.

"The questions I don't answer. The things I don't say to you. I am almost always certain shouldn't be seen or heard, but usually in giving myself over to the questions and their tangents… I can forget myself until something triggers to pull me back into my own skin… reminds me again," murmurs Vic.

She forces his hands to her hips and he grabs them gently.

"I'm not going anywhere. I have already said that before and I still mean it. I love you, you are the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I went after you last year because I wasn't willing to accept losing you after you saved me."

He nuzzles her and tightly holds her by the waist.

"I was prepared to relentlessly pursue what tangents had come to me especially ones regarding Cadmus, but what I could never prepare for, not anticipate, always had to do with you. Sure Bruce got on my case about it and I would more then certainly bring up Diana yet unlike him I wasn't willing to…"

She kisses him before he can finish, but in a way the kissing is again the affirmation of an answer.

"To let all this get in the way of the feelings I couldn't control, couldn't make go away because eventually I found there are things you can't deny just because it would be hard to deal with what happens because of it. "

She leans against him knowing this is one of his romantic moments.

* * *

The Ball comes to a close in the early hours of the following morning. Guests had been departing since before midnight, but they kept to the floor until almost one.

Wally, Beatriz, Clark, and Lois all left between midnight and one.

Mari leaves before two though John is hesitant to leave apparently. He claims he had to talk to Bruce or so Helena heard him say though he is probably looking to talk to Shayera.

He doesn't see that she is standing under mistletoe hidden by an overhanging party decoration. She lays one on him almost unexpectedly. She didn't really want to wonder how long John would remain caught between two women, but clearly his feelings for Shayera remain despite what Shayera would call confusing declarations.

However she seems unlikely to wait him out for much longer, but love as always makes people do strange things. Many were almost too drunk to realize what they were doing at this hour of the morning, which would probably account for why Shayera dares to kiss him and why he doesn't exactly resist her kissing him. Inhibitions usually don't get in Helena's way anymore yet falling in love with Vic had taught her much about herself.

Bruce offers to put any remaining guests up for the rest of the weekend as a blizzard is starting outside now. It is possible to teleport out, but Terrific radios that there are no guarantees for the effectiveness of beaming, which leaves John stuck here in the same house with Shayera and the same goes for Bruce with Diana.

"Looks like they can't get away from each other now," snorts Helena.

"Maybe not physically, but emotionally they have been distant except occasionally something intrudes on them. Memories, caresses, the kisses, and more are all part of this intensity that we subscribe to as part of love," comments Vic.

* * *

Jason and Zatanna were also staying the weekend since that is how long the blizzard is expected to last. The majority of the other guests had left before the snow had begun to come down heavier, which it did in the last hour or so.

Helena notices Vic watching the storm as a child might be looking forward to holiday gifts, but then at times she had seen a youthful wonder in his expressions or his eyes.

"I don't think I have ever seen anyone show such fascination with a blizzard," comments Shayera.

"He does that, things about him seem perplexing at first, but he grows on you," remarks Dinah.

"His compassion can never be in doubt yet one never knows how he'll express it," says Diana.

"Makes you wonder why some other men don't take cues from him," murmurs Zatanna.

Helena almost finds it puzzling that the women sound envious of her or maybe just admiring him.

Bruce reappears to guide Diana, Zatanna, and Jason to their rooms by way of flashlight since the power is fluctuating with the blizzard. However the manor does have backup generators for emergencies as well as an independent heating system that kicks in if the mains go down from the cold.

Dick leads Shayera, John, and Barbara to their rooms while Tim directs Dinah and Oliver.

Alfred has already gone to bed.

As for Helena, she would sleep anywhere in the manor tonight as long as Vic is nearby.

* * *

The pair cozies up in one of the ground floor guest rooms and Helena stays as close as she can to him.

It will be a long emotionally full weekend with this many personalities at Wayne Manor, but somehow she thought Alfred would probably love the company not that Bruce is emotionally boring yet Alfred is a sociable butler, he enjoys varied company.

The only exceptions tend to be when people bring harm to his doorstep, but even so there needs to be a refuge from the unapologetic and the unforgiving elements of existence.

"You gonna undress before bed?" asks Helena softly.

"I'd almost ask you the same, but we know where that leads, don't we?" replies Vic suggestively.

She puts one of her heels between his legs then slides it off before pulling up her other leg to remove the second heeled shoe. Next she loosens his tie before pulling it away from the collar. He hikes up her dress, which when down comes to just below her knees. He follows up by unhooking straps that keep her stockings in place, which she answers by pulling his belt out. She notes how much she enjoys his apparent slowness, but this is always how they did things, in steps, for there is no need to rush even when time is passing them by.

She smiles in the darkness of the bedroom as she hears his fingers rolling up her stockings. The stockings join the pile as does his shirt and her dress shortly after. There is little left to take off except like another night months ago both tiredly fall into bed making sleepy gestures at physical intimacy between the sheets.

* * *

The next morning everyone is playing in the snow except Alfred, Bruce, Diana, Jason, and Vic.

Helena tries to elicit Vic to join them though he says he prefers to watch for now. She lets it go as it feels like enough that he is at least out here with them. There is still comfort to have him close at hand.

Shayera is painfully accurate with snowballs plus many are insistent that John refrain from using the ring even when people keep pelting him in particular.

"C'mon Diana, you are missing out," calls Shayera.

"I don't see a point," remarks Diana.

"There really isn't one… except maybe have fun," responds Dinah.

Helena and Zatanna encourage her to join in the fun.

* * *

Vic finds Bruce talking to him for once about something other than work directly.

"Simon Trent and one of his former co-stars were in attendance last night."

"Yes I know, Kyra Silvis.... her character was Viola Satis aka Velvet Vixen..."

"Dick seems under the impression that something was bothering you."

"Mind your own problems _Bruce_. I can take of mine."

"Fair enough _Vic_…"

"So what did Montoya tell you about the Grant murder?"

Bruce exhales, the cold shows his breathe, and the two take seats on covered patio chairs.

"Aside from this idea that it had to be someone of equal or greater strength to knock Grant out the window is the first thing he brought to my attention. She did relate also that you were at the scene, but she told me that in confidence since Bullock didn't see you."

"I didn't intend to give myself away at all, but she's good like that. You can't slip much pass her."

"I'm usually not enthused to see Bullock either, but that aside, she admits to be being baffled by the scene. In her words, it felt staged, whoever did it did kill him, but the apartment ransacking was meant to throw off the police."

"That is if we both decide rather than appear to choose to believe it is an incidental death."

"She seemed under the impression that you felt it was a premeditated killing."

"Grant had quite a few criminal underworld enemies including Moretti for starters, but the fact that someone sent Lawton after Atom and Plastique means someone else is calling the shots."

"The two could be unrelated, don't go thinking there's another Cadmus caliber threat again."

"That was enough of a nightmare to last a lifetime twice over."

Bruce lessens the intensity of his demeanor as he spots two snowballs hurdling towards him and Vic.

"You might want to watch out… playful women with snowballs."

"Right, like they would do that... "

Two snowballs pelt Bruce's sweater.

Together they try to make snowballs of their own except now everybody in the yard is throwing snowballs at them.

"Just like old times."

"I hate old times."

"Least this got you out of that cave."

"You sound rather positive now."

"You grin like a Cheshire cat."

"That a smile I am seeing on your face?"

"Just get snowballs and fast."

"Whatever you say_ Vic_."

* * *

The snowballs are flying about again as Alfred returns with a tray of hot cocoa.

"My word… I haven't seen Master Bruce play in the snow since…."

He puts the tray down and rubs the corner of his eye.

Shayera mischievously sends a spread of snowballs at John and Barbara follows suit with her own pair pattering against Dick. Dinah and Oliver face off against Helena and Vic.

Diana lost her footing and starts squirming to get back to her feet except she left a rather haphazard impression of angel wings in the snow. Bruce is in midst of admiring it when he takes a snowball straight to the jaw. At first he looks furious though instead starts making more of his own to toss at Diana.

* * *

After awhile everyone heads back under the veranda's overhang as the snow starts up again.

"Now this is what I call cocoa," declares Helena.

"Perhaps you'd like the recipe then Miss Bertinelli," suggests Alfred.

"Maybe, but I doubt it would do justice to yours."

"Thank you… still you could try if you like."

"Another time perhaps."

"Another time then."

Alfred heads back inside to get more cocoa presumably and Helena cozies up to Vic with a blanket over their legs.

"Used to not like holidays for a long time after my parents were killed," murmurs Helena.

"Any change in that belief lately?" asks Vic.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" whispers Helena.

"No, but few ever think to ask the question," chuckles Vic.

Dinah giggles and gags a bit on her cocoa as she overhears that last part.

"Did you just make fun of yourself Vic?" jests Oliver.

"Maybe I did, but it is a different world under these snowflakes."

Oliver takes a seat near them and Dinah purposely sits on the side that's facing Helena.

"You want your leg warmers Helena?" asks Vic.

"Yes if you don't mind getting them," answers Helena.

"You got an extra pair?" queries Dinah.

"I do, never know when you might need in this weather," remarks Barbara.

Oliver gets to his feet as if anticipating Dinah asking him to get the extra pair from Barbara. She doesn't ask because he is already heading after Barbara. Oliver and Vic won't cross paths inside because the rooms they slept in last night are in different parts of the manor as the ladies see them walking off in different directions once inside.

* * *

"Last night was fun, I practically almost consider you the closest thing I have to a friend," says Helena.

"Likewise, I'd still win in a fight though, but that aside, it was fun," remarks Dinah.

"Not like a sparring match between us proves anything, if you'll remember we call a tie."

"Right well one of these days we could try again, but that's not so necessary."

"I think we also have dance experience in common."

"All in the footwork and I tell you that Vic is full of surprises, not unlike Ollie at times."

"You mean that fake death stunt at the first Metabrawl when he fought Wildcat in your stead?"

Dinah trembles slightly, but not from the cold entirely.

"Yeah, I actually thought Ted had killed him, he used one of those stun arrows to make it look convincing. It scared me badly, I remember crying thinking he was dead, called him stupid, but sweet then he started speaking when the stun wore off…"

"Guess Ted got the point after he thought he killed Oliver. For me the eye opener scare was the tipping point of that mixer with Luthor and Cadmus. When I found for sure that Cadmus had him, I wasn't holding back at all, but I forced myself to remember…"

"The night the four of us squared off because of Mandragora. I know I sounded disgusted at you kissing a man who had no apparent face. I didn't think too highly of either you that night. My opinion about you didn't really change until we both got mixed up in Roulette's Glamor Slam scheme…"

"Vic was actually the one that gave me the starting point to figure out something was wrong. He admitted he just handed his findings off to me so that I could investigate it; solve it on my own…"

"He did that… I was kind of surprised the guys took so long to get down there except Vic wasn't with them. We all didn't see him until after and in the manor's library of all places too…"

Helena mischievously smiles remembering that he said he had the guys taste the mystery flavor.

"When I was first following you the night we shut down Roulette's new Metabrawl. He apparently was snooping around inside a Baskin Robbins factory. He made it sound like he made a pretty significant discovery."

"What he did find?"

"He was talking a secret ice cream flavor, one that nobody had supposedly tasted yet…"

"The four of them minus Vic did show up together at the same time…"

"I think he might have given some to them…"

"They did appear to be acting funny even for them…"

"Flash split off with Fire to the Watchtower… she was rather affectionate towards Flash…"

"Shayera told me Flash… Wally… has a crush on Fire even though Linda Park has a crush on Flash…"

"I trust I wasn't the only one to see Giganta kiss Flash…"

"Sometimes he has that effect on other women…"

Both women laugh and feel glad Wally isn't here to hear them talk about him.

* * *

"What are you two laughing about?" asks Shayera.

"Clark would have heard you and if it were Bruce he could have lip read it," comments Diana.

"Just a friendly chat more or less about when the guys showed up after…" replies Dinah.

"After we took down Roulette and that despicable game of hers…" finishes Helena.

"Quite a workout, took awhile to get rid of the pulls and the spasms," continues Shayera.

"I couldn't feel much difference, but then I recover faster than any of you," adds Diana.

"Speak for your self I had aches in places I thought almost nigh impossible to pull plus the burns I got from fighting with Beatriz. I felt mortified when I saw her sprawled in that cell across from ours."

"We still owe Helena here for initiating the breakout," insists Diana.

_Praise from Wonder Woman, now that's a first, but even she had to admit that mind control is a hard thing to break away from when it was that total._

"We also owe Vic for putting her on the trail even though there's still female intuition too," reminds Shayera.

_Together we did it, but its nice to give him some credit at least._

"So why was he not with them?" asks Diana

"He said he felt like I could handle the case alone for starters," answers Helena.

"The experience changed what I thought of Helena and we have become friends since then."

* * *

It was a known story within the League to a degree that Black Canary and Huntress were at best almost rivals to start off with after both became a part of the expanded roster. The further story is that Helena was ejected from the League yet still managed to find where Arrow and Canary were as the two were League representatives aiding King Faraday's detail assigned to Steven Mandragora.

* * *

"What you did to break him out of Cadmus is also something that's been discussed among the Founders. Superman in retrospect found it to be rather romantic when he heard about your relationship with Question," remarks Diana.

"Did Batman have anything to say on the subject too?" probes Helena.

"He knows about it, but as usual he is very tight lipped about League relationships. He has this deal with dating within the League, but that doesn't apply to you," remarks Shayera.

"Besides Ollie and I have made it work so one wonders why he's so non-plus about relationships within the League," continues Dinah.

Vic and Oliver are heading back towards them so the other women move off just before the men are back with their ladies.

* * *

"Not the best fit, but it'll do. It takes away some of the chill that's good."

"They aren't the only way to keep back the cold, but still a toasty standby all the while."

Alfred reappears a third time to announce that brunch is ready now.

The gathering heads inside except for Helena who takes a parting looking at the falling snowflakes. She leans over the railing and catches some in her mouth. Vic noticing she Is still outside heads back and puts an arm around her waist from behind.

"I believe Pennyworth is expecting us to join the brunch," suggests Vic.

"Yes, I just haven't seen this much snow in years," replies Helena.

As they walk back into the warmer manor and towards the dining room she thinks for a moment of Ted.

"You remember what Ted said about both of us separately," asks Helena.

"Almost impossible to forget at this time, called both of us nut jobs," responds Vic.

"Love isn't sane, make us do crazy things you know that babydoll?" jests Helena.

"What Ted called nuts, I call eccentricity, which I think is the part of the charm," remarks Vic.

* * *

It is a far more intimate atmosphere with only a handful of them sharing brunch instead of an entire ballroom like the night before.

"Seriously you should give Alfred a raise Bruce," insists Barbara.

"I think he is happy with the current arrangement," replies Bruce.

"Maybe you should ask him?" suggests Dick.

"My service to this house has never a question of money Master Richard," comments Alfred.

"You really are the only person to still call me that after all these years."

"I was never totally fond of the nickname though I occasionally catch myself saying it."

"By the way where is Master Timothy?"

Tim arrives a moment later and still looking like he had been out in the snow with his snowboard.

"Seriously when that road is covered in snow its better than a ski slope.'

"I trust you have an appetite to match your sporting fun in the snow."

"You betcha I do, all looks good, take a seat, you should eat with us today."

"I really must be getting to lunch preparations."

"You sure you don't want join us?"

"Maybe just this once, but I must make sure the kitchen is sorted first."

* * *

Alfred leaves the dining room to check on the kitchen.

"What made you ask him to join us?" asks Diana.

"He's family and besides it's the holidays," answers Tim.

Diana is smiling at Tim and then grins at Bruce for obvious reasons. Alfred returns and takes a vacant seat near Tim.

_Glad we are stuck under one roof in a blizzard and just maybe crime will take the holidays off too. Best holiday experience I have had in a long time and there really are gifts that keep giving._

Helena forks a strawberry, puts it in her mouth, and pulls Vic towards her as they are sitting side by side. His mouth is already half open as he is about to attempt eat some pancakes though her coming at him with a strawberry between her lips is unexpected. Both of them bite down, chew some, and swallow before she gives him a kiss.

Barbara snickers, Diana holds in a laugh, and Dinah smiles while making that kind of positive head shake.

Tim heard it, but didn't see it.

Alfred is too busy munching on some waffles to make any kind of response, but he saw it.

Bruce and Oliver look at each other then go back to eating more to avoid the looks that some of the women are giving them.

Everyone goes back to eating, but of course nobody who saw what Helena did could forget it especially not Vic with him on the receiving end of a strawberry sharing.

* * *

"_**Mercy Graves officially takes charge of Lexcorp in the wake of Lex Luthor's latest disappearance in the wake of the fourth Apokolipitian incursion. The company appears to have been on the rebound until Luthor engineered a conflict between the Justice League and the American Government."**_

Channel surfing is vaguely boring even for Helena, but the reveal that Mercy is back in the top spot of her again former boss' company is unsurprisingly. Like last time she is the only person that Lex would trust to keep the company afloat in his absence.

"_**A new appointment to Lexcorp is Maxwell Lord. Lord despite the Ultimen Incident remains a notable figure in the business world, but of course speculation arises as to why Graves has picked someone like Lord to join what can be called almost her company. She kept it from completely crashing while Luthor did time for various crimes prior to his apparent reform."**_

_Graves could run the company without Lord, so could both gain by this alliance, but even so why be curious about that? Terrific I am having a Question moment while watching the news._

"_**Lexcorp stocks are on the rebound tonight. Lord always draws a likeable public image and he is good with finances though it could just as easily be marketing given the Ultimen run even though its been revealed they were genetically engineered as a counter measure to the Justice League."**_

Vic plops down next to her though he likely overheard the news anchors. The woman did sound rather proud of Mercy though had shown an annoyance that she would bring Lord into the mix. As for the man, he almost did sound proud of Lord's return to the business world yet seems uneasy about who he will be working for now.

"So what do you make Graves and Lord working together?" asks Vic.

"Graves knows the inner workings of Lexcorp, but the hearings have put her in the hot seat as to how much she knew about Luthor's deception as well as his ploys to ruin the League. Cadmus could have him step in as an observer to monitor her. However she could have also independently chosen him to help restore the company's reputation," answers Helena.

"Both plausible, but something else might also be at work with that situation."

She drags him away from the television after turning it off.

The blizzard shows no signs of letting up, but she doesn't mind being stuck here because he is with her.

* * *

A/N 1: Simon Trent appears in BtAS **Beware the Gray Ghost**. His brief cameo is a nod to Hollis Mason/Nite Owl I. Kyra Silvis, Viola Satis and Velvet Vixen were made up by me. She's something a nod to Sally Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre I, except she succeeds as actress where Sally did not.

A/N 2: Helena discovers Vic knows a bit about dancing too and she also gets a taste of him being truly vulnerable around her. Likewise they have more than a few tender and intimate moments while stuck at Wayne Manor during a December blizzard.

A/N 3: Details, visuals, .... tasteful yet elegant... I try to be imaginative about how the women dress up on this occasion especially Helena.

A/N 4: Mercy Graves goes back to running Lexcorp except now she's got Maxwell Lord to contend with and as for the exact nature of this corporate partnership... only time will tell.


	19. Janus

"So tell me Q again what brings us here and is likely to make us be late for Queen's New Years' Eve Party especially after a memorable time of being stuck at Wayne Manor?" sighs Huntress.

"The why ought to be obvious by where we are standing Huntress," replies Question.

"GCPD already went over everything with a fine tooth comb, but something is bugging you."

"How does one break into an apartment when the only the access points have locks on them?"

* * *

She grapple hooks the water tower then lowers them to the balcony outside the deceased Ted Grant's apartment. The contents of the apartment were still bogged down in GCPD CSU as sorting through evidence takes time and even crime doesn't take much of a break during the holidays. The broken windows have been boarded over. The apartment complex super is strapped for cash so the windows will remain boarded until next month though it is unlikely to get a sell or a lease considering that somebody was beat and knocked off a balcony to their death.

"There are a couple ways that are quite obvious to you and to me."

"You were in the company of Dinah and Selina that night."

"Yes we got together for drinks before heading over to Ted's though when we saw the cars out front."

"You could tell something was wrong."

They kept almost finishing each other's sentences and thoughts lately. Huntress weakly smiles though one can't tell with Question's mask.

"None of the locks were broken, picked, or marked in anyway what-so-ever. Plus it would take tremendous force to shatter the balcony windows, like someone being thrown through them."

* * *

_One could imagine Ted Grant in sweatpants, a short sleeve shirt, and a bathrobe. His corpse was found wearing exactly that on street level along with a pool of his own blood. There were also bits of glass from the broken windows all over the bathrobe and some in his hair. There was an ice cold cooked meal that was splattered onto the carpet as the coffee table in front of the couch was flipped over by Ted as his fingerprints were on it, but there were no other recognizable prints in the room. Ted Grant's corpse had almost no defensive wounds, as if he had little chance to defend himself from his killer._

* * *

"You are saying whoever killed Ted threw him through the balcony windows then off the balcony itself. "

"Likewise there were several objects missing from the sitting room when I rechecked before the CSU took everything out."

"Montoya described it as staged to look like a robbery gone wrong, but if none of the locks are broken or picked, then how could someone make it look a robbery?"

"Murder isn't murder when it doesn't look like a murder and the missing items didn't vanish until after we all left the area the night of the crime."

"Somebody stole stuff from his place after he was dead?"

* * *

_The killer tried to make it look like a robbery that led to Grant's death, but Grant's death precedes the ransacking of the apartment. Nothing appears to be missing from any part of the apartment, but during another examination of the scene, Question notices things are out of place, things are missing. He independently got inside the new GCPD evidence warehouse. The missing items are not on the master list nor do records back up their existence. There are identical chemical traces on Grant's skin, the door to his apartment, and the furniture where he saw the missing items._

* * *

"No, the objects were never his in the first place. They weren't inanimate objects, they did look the part, but I found an all too familiar chemical signature that while odorless, still leaves behind minute traces of itself."

"Objects that aren't objects that leave chemical traces… I'm still not getting what you mean exactly."

"The reason why we can't account for an intruder is because the intruder is able shape shift into any appearance, configuration, and so forth imaginably. The person who killed Ted Grant was Matt Hagen aka Clayface."

"Clayface at least in the past never killed anyone. "

* * *

_Almost a decade ago, the physically scarred actor Matt Hagen had developed a dependency on Daggett for a cream that could temporarily make him look unmarred and enable him to attempt to resume his career. In exchange for a continuous supply, Hagen using the drug would commit crimes for Daggett including covering up Daggett's attempt to seize Wayne Enterprises through insider trading by getting the evidence from Lucius Fox._

_The failure to eliminate Fox after getting the evidence for Daggett prompts Daggett to halt giving Hagen the drug, but by now Hagen has gotten an addiction to it so he tries to steal it from Daggett except they were expecting him to try this. Daggett's henchmen pin Hagen down and dump an excess amount of the drug Renuyu down Hagen's throat. Hagen appears to die yet 'resurrects' as Clayface. At first the transformation brings elation, he can be anyone or anything, but no longer a man._

_Bruce was arrested for the attempted murder of Lucius Fox, but of course Alfred bails him out. Both Batman and Clayface are after Daggett's henchman Germs, but not for the same reasons. Batman is after Germs for who impersonated Bruce Wayne the night Lucius Fox was assaulted and Clayface merely wants to find Daggett for revenge. Daggett is narrowly saved by Batman and Clayface faked his death by appearing to be electrocuted._

* * *

"He continued to commit crimes in the hopes of finding a way to reverse what the Renuyu did to his body."

* * *

_The degeneration of his cellular structure led him to continue to steal in order to reverse what the Renuyu did to his body. Dr. Stella Bates presents Clayface with a way to stabilize his cellular degeneration and gain the look of Matt Hagen back. It would however require stealing a rare isotope to facilitate the process. Batman pursues him back to Bates' lab where she is attempting to infuse him with the stolen isotope except he shuts down the machine ending the attempt. The enraged Clayface attempts to kill Batman, but their fight staggers out into a rain storm, which appears to be the end of Clayface as the rain accelerates the degeneration._

* * *

"He doesn't resurface until Robin is helping an amnesiac girl except she is the result of Clayface's regeneration. He made her to be a scout, but she got 'lost' until found by Robin. Clayface comes looking for her and eventually reabsorbs her much to Robin's chagrin."

* * *

_His powers had become intensified, sharper, and shape shifting no long appears a struggle for him yet the desire to become Matt Hagen again lingers except at some point he is divided again then in kept fake radioactive drums until sprung loose by a team by Grodd. Grodd at the time almost succeeded in breaking up the League via personal tensions between the seven except the seven pull together and defeat Grodd's team. Grodd drops out of sight except in reality he had been skimming villains long before sending them on missions for him, but of course he kept them on his side with financial gains and opportunities to personally humiliate heroes._

_Of course it didn't always work out that way as Grodd had methods for keeping them from exposing his involvement with them. It was part of why it had proven so difficult to be certain and confirm that there was a villain counterpart to the expanded Justice League._

_Clayface was apparently never approached or involved with Grodd since their first outing in the past. Someone however had gotten to him, probably leveraged a genuine 'cure' on him, and he is probably desperate to be human again except killing doesn't make him human, it takes him further from humanity than even becoming Clayface had done to him._

* * *

"So why did he kill Ted and who hired him to do it?"

"This is where, Clayface is what, but why and who are still unknown to me yet I will find out."

"This time don't leave me out of the loop, not that it wasn't a workout last time, but on an emotional level it was not a walk in the park."

"I have no intention of leaving you out or Canary out of the loop. We already agreed that everyone who had to be in the know would be kept in the know."

"Right, but now I intend to ring in the New Year feeling and looking more like a woman than a crime fighter babydoll."

"Can't argue with that so let's be on our way shall we?"

* * *

Elsewhere halfway across the country, Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance are hosting the start of a New Years' Eve celebration. They have another purpose to the party, but that is their secret for now. The guests won't be arriving for a few hours including two guests that they really did want to share certain news because of their growing friendship.

Zatanna and Jason arrive for the party by magically teleport to Oliver's penthouse.

Nelson and Inza come by magic portal from their Tower. Few have ever been inside it.

Shayera arrives alone and John lands on the penthouse's outdoor patio deck. Mari is absent due to being stuck in Montreal during a snow storm. She was there as a part of fashion show, but of course the show is on hold due to inclement weather yet it is recommended against traveling outside as the storm is expected to last a few days. It had already been a strange winter even on the East Coast, but here on the West they had seen a great of deal of rain at least near where Queen's California place is to be found. It is a light drizzle on this particular evening, which Oliver and Dinah are grateful for since they can only fit so many guests into the penthouse interior.

Bruce arrives with Diana and Clark naturally turns up with Lois. Lois has that look that she knows something is back on between Bruce and Diana even though they trying to look so aloof, but the expression written all over you, fits them tonight. After them Dick shows up with Barbara thus further stirring speculation that they were an item again. Wally enters the penthouse with Beatriz, Tora Olafsdotter, and Roy Harper.

* * *

Beatriz and Tora head over towards Shayera, Diana, and Dinah.

"You get the feeling that Beatriz is just flirting with you, but she is really more into Tora?"

"C'mon Roy, you can't be serious, sure the rumors are suggestive, but I don't believe rumors."

"Sure they both happen to ask us to take them to this party, Dinah did invite them or so Oliver told me."

"Let's just enjoy the night, we are all among friends and that's the point."

There's plenty of chatter coming from over there and Clark with super hearing could hear their attempts to whisper except Bruce elbows him as if knowing the look of him focusing on something the rest of them can't hear at all.

"There's something called privacy and something called eavesdropping Kent."

"Not like I hear these things on purpose, besides Dinah is refusing to tell them the surprise."

"Surprise? What could they possibly use as a surprise?" chirps Wally.

"It wouldn't be surprise then would it?" remarks John.

"He is right," says Clark.

"Is this going to turn into a regular thing? A League holiday or party every year?" asks Roy.

"Those who have secret identities can't exactly have typical social lives, so it's a work-family thing."

"Don't be so corny West."

"Sure thing Harper… so anything new with Cheshire?"

Roy glares at him then sips his drink that he got from the bar after they had come into the penthouse.

"What about you and that reporter Linda Park?"

Wally stays aloof then goes to get himself a drink.

* * *

"You two still poking fun at each other after all these years?" asks Oliver.

"Well if it isn't our host for the evening," chuckles Roy.

"Last time we fought anybody together was when Eiling got his Meta makeover."

"Right and he pasted both of us. Still we got good rep out of it especially because of Justin."

"Well Justin is proof that chivalry isn't dead, just beat up yet still reappearing now and again."

Jason got their attention with his last comment.

"And this is coming from a guy with a demonic alter ego."

"You may dress like a hero, but you certainly don't always act or sound like one."

"It wouldn't be the first time as some haven't been doing this as long as you have."

"Easy, not here, not now, so we agree to disagree?"

Roy sighs and Jason merely nods before going back to Zatanna.

* * *

"You really shouldn't be pushing buttons like that."

"I wasn't the only one."

"So how do you like being solo these days?"

"Well on days where I don't get comlink calls from Terrific… its nice to just roam the city."

"Helping the little guy?"

"That's usually what you did, but not so much since you have gone pro-League."

"I am reminded of something Batman said to me once…."

Bruce snorts remembering that moment.

"The villains that the League tangles with tend to step on the little guy in the process."

"Size is relative, but it is your operating style, not mine."

* * *

Oliver and Dinah meet up outside on the patio.

"You know for a guy who exudes impeccable timing…."

"… He is late, so she is, but you know them, they'll be here…"

"What makes you so sure?"

Vic and Helena materialize in front of them in the midst of Oliver asking that particular question.

"So what could be so important for you to be late Vic?"

"Time is relative, somewhere in the world I am earlier, elsewhere else I am late, but right here I am on time."

Helena giggles and kisses Vic on the cheek.

"He is usually funnier when he is not even trying in the least… or he gets bold like that."

Helena and Dinah walk back inside leaving Oliver and Vic outside with a drizzle of rain getting a bit heavier.

* * *

"So where were you before you two came here?"

"Let's just say I know who killed Ted Grant."

"So are you going to tell Dinah?"

"She looks so happy tonight, this will hurt her, can't avoid that, made a promise to tell."

"Maybe I should tell her in your place."

"No, I'll tell her… she deserves to hear it from me as I made the promise."

* * *

Helena and Dinah notice Oliver coming back inside.

"Vic has something to tell you Pretty Bird," sighs Oliver.

"About Ted isn't it?" suggests Dinah.

"He said he promised he would tell you whatever he discovered."

Helena hugs Dinah.

"You were with him when he had come to the conclusion, weren't you?" sniffles Dinah.

"Yes, I was, but still he is honoring his promise to you so get moving Blondie."

Dinah laughs lowly and walks outside towards Vic.

"So who did it Helena?" asks Oliver.

"Vic believes it was Clayface," whispers Helena.

Oliver's eyes widen slightly.

* * *

"Guess you know why I told Oliver to have you come out here by yourself."

Dinah wipes her eyes, knowing that her mascara is running just a little, and figures she will have time to touch before their surprise.

"Ollie had that look like he had been told something mood shattering."

If there is one thing Vic hates at times besides being right so frequently is being the bearer of this kind of news especially to someone as warm, friendly, and loving as Dinah Lance.

"I believe I identified Grant's killer…"

Dinah covers her mouth, she sobs, and Vic closes the distance. Oliver looks like he is about to come out, but Vic just gives him that look of telling him to hold off. Dinah cries on Vic's shirt and asks him to tell her the rest of it.

"None of the locks were broken, damaged, or picked. There were also unaccounted for items in the evidence warehouse that were taken from his apartment. The missing items were there after he was killed, but they were not the next time I examined the scene before all belongings were taken away."

Vic offers her his handkerchief and she blows into it.

"The missing items left behind minute chemical traces, which upon closer examination I found to be common to the cellular structure of one villain in particular. The villain… his killer…"

"Well out with it please," pleads Dinah.

"The killer was Clayface," murmurs Vic sadly.

"He must have shape shifted into something that could just flow into the room then return to his usual form and killed Ted," gulps Dinah.

"Afterward he ransacked the apartment to manufacture the robbery illusion then divided himself into several smaller items until everyone left the scene probably so he could reappear before departing the scene," finishes Vic.

Dinah wipes her eyes and offers back the handkerchief, he tells her to keep it and still try to enjoy tonight instead of letting the revelation sink in because above all else there had to be an anchor in her world lest she fall off into an emotional abyss. Dinah heads back inside then Helena goes with her to the penthouse's larger bathroom connected to the bedroom she had been sharing with Oliver.

* * *

"A world of hurt, a scar for pain, so why must I be messenger at a time like this?" grumbles Vic.

"You look like you could use a drink," says Oliver.

Vic takes the wine glass from Oliver and drinks some of it as if trying to block out telling Dinah what he told her.

"She'll bounce back, maybe this will give her some closure, give her something to help her move on for her own sake, and not just because of me," continues Oliver.

"In this moment, you being right would be one thing I'd like to come true when the clock strikes midnight," admits Vic.

Dinah reappears with fresh makeup on and pulls Oliver to his feet.

Helena sits down next to Vic and pecks him on the cheek.

"So Dinah, you are going to tell everyone your surprise before after ringing in the New Year?"

"I think so, and I want to end the year on a happier note Helena."

* * *

Oliver puts his arm around Dinah as they walk towards the center of the room. He starts tapping his wine glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention though they already had it from Vic and Helena.

"Dinah and I have an announcement to make to all of you here tonight," declares Oliver.

"Ollie and I are getting engaged so I thought we should tell you all first," continues Dinah.

Everyone stops chattering at the words "getting engaged" and so the women flock to Dinah.

"So where's the rock?" asks Zatanna.

Oliver reveals the ring cases and takes out Dinah's engagement ring. The women minus Helena are all looking on with interest. Oliver slips the ring onto the fourth finger of Dinah's left hand. Some men are now taking interest except for Bruce who is not going into the mix.

"How much did that cost?" murmurs Lois.

Dinah takes out the one for Oliver and slips onto his left hand. She arches up on her right foot and bends the left leg upward as she plants a rather long kiss on Oliver's lips. He holds her close to him and it certainly arouses a fair amount of smiling all around. Their lips part after a few minutes before Oliver elects to answer Lois's question.

"Put it this way I can afford it and besides you can't put a price on some things too," answers Oliver.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you two," says Zatanna.

"The other half of why I invited some of you was for bridesmaids," responds Dinah.

"You already picked a Maid of Honor?" guesses Lois.

"Yes I have… "

Dinah looks to Helena who covers her mouth before getting to her feet then walking over.

"I didn't think we were that close," remarks Helena.

"You picked Helena.... were any of us under consideration?" teases Barbara.

"I'd consider you too, but lately I have felt a stronger connection to Helena."

"Well you two certainly been through quite a bit together on and off," comments Diana.

"Yes, we have, but its been a learning experience for both of us."

"Sure we didn't exactly get along last year, but a lot can change in a year or less."

* * *

Oliver heads over to Bruce.

"So Helena's Maid of Honor… it would be rhetorical to say you picked Vic as Best Man."

"It was him, you, or Roy. He and I did clash personality wise yet he like me served some kind of purpose to be some kind of conscience for the League, that was why you brought me into wasn't it?" reminds Oliver

"Yes it was. However one could never truly anticipate the acts Vic would take in that role. I got over the fact that he jabbed me with the sedative I intended to use on him though he often leaves you with much to think about, forces you to look at things through the eyes of those who seem afraid of you."

"I heard about what he did, what Helena did to get him back, and sure it all sounds nuts yet none of us are the paragons of sanity anyway."

"No, not like I wanted the honor of being Best Man anyway. Last thing I need is more speculation about my dating tastes even though some of this publicity is necessary in some way to deflect away speculation about me as Batman."

"It is not like Cadmus would blow the whistle on us now."

"They are still on probation and so are we though plenty has given us chance to regaining our footing."

Vic comes towards them.

"So I have to guess you made me your Best Man," jests Vic.

"Yes I did Vic, so you in, because there are other candidates," replies Oliver.

"I am in… not like this is going to be public right," comments Vic.

"The word won't get out, we agreed to be private about this, but sure enough somehow it'll be found out that Oliver Queen, billionaire reclusive industrialist is marrying up."

"Besides having a bachelor billionaire like me around would only raise interest," interjects Bruce.

"You are still invited, whether or not you come is up to you, we're friends, but we'd understand."

"I'll consider it, but I have got reasons to be back in Gotham for including patrol. Batman is famous for relentlessness so have to maintain that too."

Oliver walks off to talk others leaving Vic alone with Bruce.

* * *

"I get the impression you told Dinah about who you believe to be Grant's killer."

"I don't break promises, I said I would tell her, so now she knows, but she has much to be happy about."

"You took a risk doing that, and some risks should never be taken."

"You risk your neck constantly for strangers, for allies, but you won't for one woman."

"I'm not getting into that subject."

"You brought up risks… so I'm just reminding you of your own judgments."

Both sip their drinks.

"You always manage to bring up the one topic I don't want to talk about… women."

"Yes, they are a mystery, but you enjoy a mystery as much as I do."

"What allows your relationship to work… wouldn't work for me."

"What would work for you is if you quit being a stubborn idiot, you might actually have fun."

"Now you are starting to sound like Alfred again."

"Quit dodging like I am aiming a weapon at you."

Bruce glares, sets down the glass, and considers leaving now perhaps.

"It's been a long day for all of us."

"Next thing I know you'll be on about the whole she chose me jaunt."

"It is true, but dating within the team doesn't always lead to disaster."

"Depends on one's definition of disaster."

The two decide to drop the subject, no point in bickering during an engagement party.

"Just tell them I had to leave early."

"You tell them you are 'needed' back in Gotham."

Bruce walks away to tell Oliver he has to go before midnight, but of course Diana follows him out. She probably got curious, but plenty of others stick around until midnight.

* * *

"Ten…"

Most eyes are drawn to the city's pick for the equivalent to Times' Square ball. Dinah leans against Oliver.

_She appears to feel the safest with him, not that she is helpless, but with some no matter how much energy or will streams from their being, is still given a contrast further by their individual vulnerabilities. _

"Nine…"

_Beyond all the costumes worn both as symbols and as guises, there is still a man or in her case, a woman capable of much more than she appears yet still at times in need of things that she cannot always give herself._

"Eight…"

_It is in those moments that someone else must step up though not always with acts, with words because sometimes silence really is golden. Those who simply stay have done more with a single motion then any could do with some ramble that tugs at neatness one expects from a movie, but life is never that neat._

"Seven…"

_However our existence hinges on words, but not all words are spoken, some times the bodies must do the talking in the midst of verbal silence. As much as words count, I have long since seen the power of silence, the comfort of quiet, and the release of allowance._

"Six…"

_Some things must be worn openly in front of others because otherwise all that weighs inside will drown us all and even then living remains a mystery to us all regardless of schedule or habits. There is motion and there is emotion, more of the former than the latter is visible though emotion only cracks through invisibility._

"Five…"

_Words are weapons, words are power, words are poison, and even then I am often at loss as to how to use them instead of them using me or something else compels me to speak or not speak. There are rights and wrongs, virtues and sins, though as a whole there are notions of good and evil._

"Four…"

_There isn't a right or wrong way to deliver bad news, but I always think I do it wrong. Honesty is both complimentary with a cost and hurting inside without leaving marks outside. It hardly strikes me as a virtue though at times it can feel like a sin. _

"Three…"

_There is no way that I can lie even if I had the nerve or the voice to do it, I wouldn't because that's not me. Honesty by design can flatter and hurt. It pangs the teller and wounds the recipient in ways unseen. I can hardly believe she'd still want me at her wedding, but then she needs affirmation that even where there is death, that there is still life, still hope yet most all still living for love. Love of another, love of friends, something to reassure, something that brings her to where she needs to go now._

"Two…"

Helena holds Vic tightly as does Dinah when pulling at Oliver's waist.

Oliver kisses Dinah's left hand, Dinah smiles weakly then she kisses him on the lips and holds there.

Helena goes to kiss Vic as the countdown is about to hit one.

"One…"

The penthouse is in something of an uproar.

* * *

_Many look to the coming years with hope that the past is behind them. The past is never behind them, it is always with them, with me. We just have to learn to live with it without it getting to us. However it will get to us from time to time, so we look to others to help us forget what we remember and recall what must be forgotten when in their company.

* * *

_

"Happy New Years everyone!" shouts Oliver.

"Remember to R.S.V.P. the invites!" pips Dinah.

The crowd starts to disperse a few hours later. Oliver and Dinah are in the midst of farewells while Vic kicks back in one of the penthouse recliners.

Helena with her high heels off climbs onto to the recliner and sits on Vic's lap facing him.

"So looks like we both got important spots for a wedding," says Helena.

"Yes, I wouldn't have expected it, but guess I'm not the only one known for unexpected surprises," answers Vic.

* * *

Nelson, Inza, Zatanna, and Jason leave via magic portal since Inza had given an invite to the two to join her and Nelson at the Tower for the next few days. It is notable that things appear more serious between Zatanna and Jason then they were at the Solstice Ball.

Clark and Lois are going to visit the Kents since they are not needed back at work as structural repairs are still underway from the damages inflicted on the _**Daily Planet**_ from Darkseid's last appearance. It is very logistical, but takes time though Superman did offer to help out.

* * *

John got a call from Mari in Montreal to tell him that there's been a break in the storm and that she hopes he'll join her before it possibly starts up again. Shayera knows he is probably on the phone with Mari and figures he'll probably be heading to wherever she is tonight, which by the time he gets there will be probably be this morning. Different time zones aren't that much of a headache going forward, but they can be going back. Either way one is bound to feel a compulsion to lie down and sleep it off.

Before John can speak to Shayera again he finds she took a teleport back to the Metro Tower to join the festivities that will be picking up there in a few hours time. He switches over to costume then calls for a teleport to get back East so he can sober up some before flying to Montreal. The storm affecting Canada's eastern coast line is abating for now so he could probably make it so long as the storm doesn't resume again.

* * *

Roy and Wally head for Central City for the city's New Years bash though neither Beatriz nor Tora goes with them as they say they wish to call it an early night. Neither asks why the women aren't tagging along as Wally remembers the appetite Beatriz worked up from dancing with him at the Solstice Ball and Roy makes no comment given his notion that the women are more than just friends. Wally sensing that Roy hadn't abandoned his earlier theory just shakes his head then calls for a teleport to Central.

Beatriz and Tora depart for Rio after saying farewells to Dinah and Oliver.

* * *

Barbara and Dick are the last couple leaving the penthouse more than half an hour later.

She presses the button to call for the elevator then turns to wave some more at Dinah and Oliver who remain in an embrace in the doorway to the penthouse.

The elevator doors part to reveal someone already in the car. Dick's eyes widen in panic seeing that the man in the elevator had a sizable weapon protruding in the place of where a hand should be usually. He rushes to push Barbara out of the way except she still takes a few hits to the back on the way to the floor. She cries out in pain. Dick tries to get up yet gets the man's elbow to his chest, which causes him to fall backwards.

Oliver charges out with his longbow and swings it at the masked assassin. The assassin is faster on the draw so Oliver goes backward into the wall with two rounds in his chest. Dinah furious goes after the assassin next by ducking into a slide except she gets shot in the leg then a second shot grazes her neck causing her to grip it to stem the bleeding.

Vic outpaces Helena in a run to the vestibule where three of four lie prone bleeding out.

Helena had broken the tips off her heels. She flicks one that lodges itself in the assassin's unaltered arm. There is a groan from him yet then he takes aim at Helena. Vic steps in front of her after he fires at her. The shots hit Vic in a haphazard fashion due to his move to step between her and the gun.

"No!" screams Helena.

She jump kicks the assassin back towards the other wall then jams the other heel tip into his weapon. It overloads because he is in the midst of trying to fire at her again after the first attempt hit Vic instead of her.

* * *

Dick is back on his feet as he goes over to Helena.

"We have to get them to a hospital or somewhere with medical facilities!" implores Dick.

"I know plus we can't risk moving Barbara with the way she was hit!" hisses Helena.

Oliver groans and jerks his arm to point towards the bedroom where their comlinks are hidden. Dick runs inside to get them.

Helena curses as she tears off part of her new dress to bandage Dinah's neck as well as her leg. She limps her way over to Oliver after getting the bandages on both her neck and her leg. Dick returns with their comlinks.

Vic bleeds from his mouth, his thigh, and his torso. Dick is busy patching him up as Helena checks Barbara over.

"Talk to me Barbara," orders Helena.

"God, this hurts," grunts Barbara.

She bandages Barbara's lower back using a tablecloth from a table in the vestibule.

"It looks like Dick's move saved your spine, but it still looks bad," continues Helena.

"He still trying to be Boy Wonder huh?" chuckles Barbara weakly.

Dick returns to Barbara's side.

"There are four of them and only three comlinks," murmurs Dick.

"I know… almost makes me wish I wasn't kicked out of the League about now!" snaps Helena.

Vic forces himself up.

"You really shouldn't be moving Vic, you have at least three bullets in you," says Oliver weakly.

"Help me over to Gordon now!" demands Vic.

"No sense in arguing with him," comments Dick.

Dick gets him over to Barbara then they are ready to teleport hopefully.

"Metro Tower, Nightwing, we have four cases of ballistic trauma, need an emergency teleport now!"

"_**Right away Nightwing, beaming now… need medical personnel on standby in the Hub!"**_

Helena drags the assassin over before the beam out starts, which means he is coming along for the ride. Columns of light surround them and the room shifts from the penthouse's elevator vestibule to the teleporter platform in the Metro Tower's nerve center.

* * *

Captain Atom is among the Leaguers in the nerve center as the seven including the assassin materialize on the platform. Red Tornado emits a controlled air burst to levitate Barbara and the medics rush a gurney over and then he lowers her to it. They are already on the move once she is in place. Similar gurneys are brought out for Oliver and Vic who took some pretty bad hits. Captain Atom carries Dinah who merely slumps in his arms between blood loss and shock. It is amazing she had been able to stay conscious at all.

Helena rushes off after the others going to the Metro Tower's Infirmary for immediate surgeries. Barbara's and Vic's injuries are the most critical though the ones to both Oliver and Dinah are just as lethal in their own ways.

The unconscious assassin is cuffed and put in a holding cell.

* * *

Batman arrives at the Metro Tower with Superman and Wonder Woman less than an hour later.

"Where is he?" snarls Batman.

"Holding cell," answers Terrific.

Batman heads that way with Superman heading off in the direction of the Infirmary.

"Where is Helena?" whispers Diana.

"She went to the infirmary, but cameras now show her already at the holding cells," murmurs Terrific.

"Hera!" gasps Diana.

* * *

She runs to the holding cells to find Batman holding Helena.

The assassin is still alive, albeit roughed up, but Helena is more of a mess.

"Wonder Woman, would you mind looking after Helena for awhile?" suggests Batman.

"Yes," answers Diana.

Helena wipes her eyes and walks towards Diana.

"Helena would you mind joining me in the commissary?" offers Diana.

"Not like there is anything else I can do here or there," sighs Helena.

Batman enters the cell and tilts the window setting to opaque. Nobody knows how he manages to get people to talk when they appear adamant to remain close mouthed, but then maybe people were better off not knowing. It is enough for Batman to have to live with those kinds of tactics, but fear is something all feel, just a matter of tapping then flooding it though that's a simplification.

* * *

"Been awhile hasn't it KGBeast?" taunts Batman.

"You got lucky last time Batman," reminds KG Beast.

"Just keep telling yourself that Knyazev."

Neither resumes speaking for a moment then Knyazev breaks the silence except he is talking in Russian.

**_"You think knowing my name gives you an advantage?"_** retorts Knyazev.

_**"The question is, do you think it does?"** _counters Batman.

**_"So the rumors be true that you are a polyglot, but knowledge of language does not get you an answer."_**

**_"I am and it will,"_** replies Batman.

Anatoli Knyazev isn't the first or likely the last to experience the Dark Knight's interrogation style. Batman conceals a slight satisfaction in his demeanor while awaiting Knyazev to tell his story.

However Batman hears a cracking sound from the vicinity of Anatoli's mouth then tries to stop him, but of course he is too late. Anatoli's face contorts before his body shudders as it falls onto the table leaving a puddle of foam on the table surface, which starts dripping to the floor.

Anatoli Knyazev, an assassin who fatally shot four people on New Year's Day is now a dead man by some form of poison, probably a false tooth, and now back to square one.

Batman slumps back into the chair opposite the dead assassin.

"Another dead end and another dead body… no closer to figuring out who is behind this."

Superman enters with a look of surprise.

"Believe me I didn't do that. He was about to spill except something spilled him instead."

"He killed himself or someone killed him without his knowledge."

"Either way, it we are still in the dark as his intended victims are hanging by threads."

"Dick and Helena got them here in time."

"It counts for something, but right now it is up to the doctors to save them."

"I'm just as frustrated by this as you are."

"You sure about? You ever saw someone taken down by bullets?"

"No, but I have seen people vaporized by Omega Beams!"

The two stand there staring at each other then Wonder Woman enters with her arms crossed.

"You two want go at it? Do it somewhere else, we have badly hurt friends in the infirmary!"

Batman leaves first knowing Wonder Woman… _Diana_… is right.

Superman apologizes to Wonder Woman then heads back toward the infirmary.

"So much for New Years," sighs Diana.

* * *

A/N 1: Ted Grant's killer revealed to be Clayface. He only appears in JL episode **Secret Society**. His motives and who hired him are still a mystery. Flashback bits refer to his appearances in BtAS and TNBA.

A/N 2: Vic wrestles with personal implications of his role while Helena and Oliver in their own way try to reassure that he has done right. Vic's inner musings occur side by side with the countdown.

A/N 3: Barbara's injuries are a nod to _**Killing Joke**_.

A/N 4: Batman 'talks' to KGBeast in Russian, its a homage to Batman's 'chat' with the Kasnian Commando in **Maid of Honor** except for the end result. KGBeast's attempted killings are a nod to Adrian Veidt's staged assassination attempt as is the way KGBeast dies too.

A/N 5: "My brain's not a nice place to be." Batman, **Only A Dream**. Instead I'd say imagination designs grim scenes.


	20. Darkness

"Begin program," snaps Helena.

It had been less than a day since they were shot and nothing could purge the sight from her mind. In some ways it felt worse than being stuck in a closet when Mandragora murdered her parents.

'_You were just a child.'_

She brawls with endless amounts of Z-8 drones. Machines could be rebuilt, physical injuries could heal, but as always there are the scars and wounds that linger and occasionally fester on the inside. The helplessness had come down on her senses after she saw Barbara on the ground bleeding from her back. The despair shivers through her skin as she watches Oliver get shot. The anger flows through her as Dinah goes down in a failed attempt to disable the assassin. The fear turns to rage as Vic falls sideways during his lunge to protect her from the shots meant for her.

'_You certainly didn't understand what your father did for a living.' _

As she got older she found out what he did do, but that didn't change her pursuit of being ready for the day that she would kill Mandragora. She took all the marital arts, the weapons, and the physical training she could find except along the way some kind of life did happen for her where there once been only anger and guilt for what happen to her parents. She cross paths with others who had become part of the night, been drawn into the side of humanity that few believe to be natural because in reality it is natural for someone. Natural because it is how they exist and thrive while others twist and suffer for their benefit.

'_You just knew that when he talked, people listened.'_

She always thought she could have done something differently that night or at the very least there were times when she had wanted to die with them instead of being alive without them. In nightmares, all the decisions made are the 'wrong' ones because that's the way bad memories course through one's mind. She did listen to him one last time and then she saw it all repeatedly even now as she smashes the Z-8 drones in every way imaginable.

'_That he always had his guys around him to do whatever he said, but the most frightening one was Mandragora.'_

As a child she had grown accustom to the many who did work with her father or rather under him as per his rank as a crime boss. Many were loyal, many were friends of a kind, but some were greedy, some were enemies kept closer. However Mandragora between his size and almost albino like complexion made her stick close to her father or her mother in the hopes that he would just go away, but he wouldn't be going until he chose to go.

'_That looking into his eyes was like looking into an empty pit.'_

She is a little girl in a closet. She is a grown woman with a crossbow. Her hand is on the closet door. Her finger is on the crossbow trigger. There are tears in her eyes after he kills them. There are sweat drops running along her skin beneath the mask. The darkness in his eyes is the same then and later as she prepares to kill him that night on the docks last year.

'_Then one terrible night, Mandragora decided he no longer wished to take orders.'_

The Bertinellis rush home. A little boy rushes towards Mandragora. She is behind her father as the headlights almost blind them in the entrance hall. Mandragora has a son, and the boy is almost the same age as she was when her parents were murdered by his father. She heard the last thing her father she said to her overlapping with what Mandragora says to Edgar. The look in his eye could just as easily been identical to one in hers as she was looking through the slit in the closet door when he advanced on her parents.

"_Huntress… is really what you want?" asks Question._

Her aim remains on Mandragora. She didn't look away then, she doesn't look away now, but Edgar runs as she shifts her aim upward before firing at the cables. The payload falls knocking Mandragora unconscious. She walks towards him, her childhood demon, her childhood's end, but she wouldn't kill him even though she could, it would just dishonor their memory and take more away from her than their deaths had already done for years. She recalls admitting killing him wasn't she really wanted after all.

Mandragora played along after being sent back to Federal Custody. He was doing hard time for his prosecuted crimes aside from providing the Grand Jury with all manner of evidence to nail his former associates, at least the ones that were still alive by the time he told the Justice Department anything. The ones responsible for Edgar's kidnapping were found in pieces to say the least so he really mean it when he said "taught the errors of their ways." As for Edgar, he remains in protective custody and so she really did believe she had nothing to fear about Mandragora anymore.

However after last night, the conviction of that belief is gone.

Word got around that the captured assassin apparently committed suicide by poison tooth. It meant they had no way of tracing the individual back to his employer. The darkness felt so close to her as the light is almost gone as those that matter most to her now are still in critical condition despite the surgeries. Death had never been this close to her or at least she felt like she had put distance between herself and death except death wears many masks apparently. She is not in the mood to hold back even when these drones aren't cheap, but whoever had complaints about the damages would best keep it to themselves.

She doesn't miss a single hit yet she misses all the horse ring shaped heads clattering to the floor in the holographic simulator chamber. Her body focus is on the targets, but her thoughts are instead showing her other things. It doesn't take a telepath to know she is in deep now. The program ends, but she is on the floor, sobbing as if she were eight years old again except this is no closet. She only wants person in here right now, but he is in the infirmary hanging by a thread even after they took the bullets out of him. She didn't hate him for doing it, she hated the dead man for shooting him, she hated herself for not flicking the first heel tip at the gun before he shot Vic or even before he shot Dinah.

* * *

The chamber doors part and Dick Grayson walks in almost as if knowing he would find her here. She almost didn't hear him come in yet she slides up to her kneels then nearly swings at him. She stops halfway and tries to cover that fact that she been crying for almost a half hour. She readjusts the scrunchies in her hair and sniffles some. He says nothing at first to her.

"You are not doing yourself any good bottling it and beating the crud of these drones won't make you feel any better," murmurs Dick.

"I don't care what you think I should or should not be doing with my time right now. The only thing that matters to me right now is more than obvious to you," hisses Helena.

"I think you do care, more than you realize, more than you are used to, why else would you look a mess from crying and besides Barbara is still in critical condition too. They all are even with the bullet out. The next few days are vital to their recovery, I believe they will survive," retorts Dick.

"They were all shot at close range, they had no Kevlar armor on, and the kind of bullets that were used were overkill for a shooting," rebukes Helena.

"You sound half way convinced that they won't make… Vic's your boyfriend, Dinah's the closest thing you have to a best friend, and even Oliver is something of a friend too. Why do you sound so sure they will die?" growls Dick.

"I have seen people die in different ways in my life and gun shots are just one of them!"

"I saw my parents plunge to their deaths from trapeze handlebars!"

"That's my point!"

"Where there is life, there is hope!" snaps Dick.

Helena jumps to her feet and pushes Dick off to the side before storming out of the room.

* * *

Dick exits then heads for the Monitor Womb where he expects to find Batman laboring over endless streams of data as he spent almost the whole day since the shooting working over how Knyazev got inside. Queen's security forces and protocols should have kept the assassin out yet somehow he had gotten inside anyway.

Dick enters and finds exactly what he thought he would find in the Womb.

"Anyway headway Batman?" asks Dick.

"You really shouldn't be roaming around in here without your costume," remarks Batman.

"We'll talk about that later, so again any leads?"

"The cameras were briefly on the fritz several times that night starting just after the guests had begun arriving at the residence. The longest continuous fritz would have been enough time for Knyazev to enter the elevator car and ride straight up except how he got access to the car is another mystery."

"Knyazev as per your files didn't suggest he had any techno-savvy, so he had help of some kind."

Batman shows Dick all the security footage from the night of the murder attempts at Queen's penthouse residence.

Dick's eyes widen for a moment.

"You are telling me that they infiltrated Queen's security personnel by sending in her and utilizing his M.O."

"Yes, apparently nobody has ever seen her without the mask, so nobody actually knows her face and his M.O. we are all too familiar with."

It is just another twist in an increasingly disturbing string of events.

"She is the one that messed with the cameras and got them access to the elevator…"

"This is all feels too orchestrated to be random anymore…"

"Here I am thinking that I told Vic that night to not think this was Cadmus level caliber…"

"This is too despicable to even be their handiwork…"

"I know, because its not them… all these attacks have been conducted by known super villains…"

Batman's earpiece comlink chirps, which interrupts their chat.

"_Helena Bertinelli has left the Metro Tower,"_ says Terrific.

"What?!? She was told to stay here," grumbles Batman.

Batman deactivates the computers and heads out. Dick is quick to follow once he gets into the Nightwing guise.

* * *

Helena finds her way into one of the garages that Vic told her about and there it sits almost as if calling out to her. A new 1967 Pontiac GTO to replace the one that Deadshot or one of his associates' put a thermal transducer in with the intention of blowing it up. If not for Question getting that bit out of Deadshot then she might be dead. Question kept her from death twice. She kept him from death only once, and felt like she had failed the second time. As he hangs by a thread, she just couldn't sit around or bounce around inside the Metro Tower so she went out as if looking to spill guts instead of just smashing up Z-8's. She drives the new car to her place on the outskirts of Bludhaven and slips into the Huntress guise again.

She goes out on her motorcycle leaving behind the clothes that a tracer had been put on without her knowledge.

* * *

Batman and Nightwing are only to track her as far as her apartment only to find that she is not home.

"How we are going to find her now?" grunts Nightwing.

"She has a tracking system built into her bike now, just run it backwards through one of her personal tracers," concludes Batman.

"Show-off, but it works in theory," comments Nightwing.

* * *

Huntress enters the parking garage that was previously used by Roulette during her short lived Metabrawl Glamor Slam. The elevator appears to be in use again as she the silhouette of a woman entering the elevator except the elevator car lights are too dim to make out the woman's face. Huntress closes the distance to the doors except they are shut by the time she gets there. The doors reopen again a few minutes later except nobody is in it like the first time she had done this trick to call it back up with a security pass card. The ride down is as fast as she remembers it being the last time except no guards to knock out and no sensual look to wear once down below.

There are no signs that a subterranean casino was ever here. It is nearly pitch black in here and for once she would have to rely more on her other senses besides her eye sight.

"You really shouldn't have followed me down here Huntress," says a female voice.

"You have me at a disadvantage between the darkness and knowing my alias," retorts Huntress.

"Your disadvantage is greater than that Senorita Huntress," says a deeper voice.

"Bane, what are you doing down here and with her?" queries Huntress.

"He isn't the only one you should be wondering about," says a gravelly voice.

"So there is three you… a woman, Bane, Clayface, but I heard two other sets of foot falls now."

There are no sounds aside from the footfalls that she just heard for a moment.

"Who else did you invite to this dark pit?"

There is an audible thud except she is unable to tell at first if it is her or something else except the room looks darker, but maybe it is not just the dark... then nothing.

* * *

It is disorientating to her as she grabs her head as if the pounding had kept up after getting that hit to back of her skull.

"She is coming around Batman," calls Nightwing.

She scans around the room trying to work out how she got from the abandoned sublevel to what appears to be the Metro Tower's infirmary. It however looks like she is the only patient in here now.

"Where are Vic and the others?" demands Huntress.

Nightwing hesitates to answer her.

"You have been slipping in and out for days. Oliver was the first to go, the wounds caused too much internal bleeding, and Vic went out next because one of the bullet hit him in such a way that the bleeding likewise got him too."

She howls and cries at the same time.

"Dinah worsened with Oliver's passing and her neck wound proved to be too severe to repair."

"This can't be right. You were the only that kept insisting that I not lose hope."

"Sometimes you can't stop these things no matter how much you want the opposite to be true."

"I had caught up to Clayface, Bane, and three others who were likely to have been working with KGBeast."

"We barely go to you in time. However you were down there alone, nobody else was there, and you were trying to kill you by jumping out of the control booth straight down to the floor. You almost broke your neck," remarks Batman.

"You are lying… I found at least two super villains with probable ties to all the murders and attempted murders from the last two months!"

They were both looking at her so strangely she thought to herself, but what if they were telling the truth about everything that happen in the last few days. It made her more afraid than anything else up to this point, but she felt a sedative casting her off to sleep as she heard Batman's voice.

"You need to rest Helena, we'll talk later," finishes Batman.

* * *

"Gordon is asking to see us," remarks Nightwing.

"Did he give a reason besides the obvious?" demands Batman.

"They want to do an independent autopsy on Knyazev's body. They want us to turn ourselves over though Huntress in particular because she is the only survivor from the attack besides me."

"Right, we play along for now, the last thing I need is Gordon after us and prove that they were incorrect to trust us and more to trust me all these years to help safeguard Gotham."

Batman, Nightwing, and a worn down Huntress teleport to the rooftop of GCPD Central awhile later.

Commissioner Gordon is flanked by Detectives Bullock, Montoya, and Allen. There are also apparently SWATs up here too if the laser sights are any indication.

"Now remove all of your equipment and I do mean all of it especially you Batman," orders Gordon.

Bullock seizes all of Batman's gadgetry and his utility belt.

Montoya picks up Huntress' belt and her crossbow.

Allen is given Nightwing's tools from his built-in sleeve dispensers.

"I am placing both Huntress and Nightwing under arrest as accessories to the recent deaths that most of us are well aware of as evidence has been found to conclude that it was within your power to prevent these deaths. This is being done as per the orders of the new ADA Sam Young."

"Those charges are circumstantial. Yes, both she and I were there. Yes, we could have possibly done more, but in a situation like that you only have time to act or react. We weren't aware that somebody ambushed the guards from the inside," interjects Nightwing.

"Your laxness and carefree behavior that night cost the lives of four individuals including Barbara Gordon."

Nobody moves though words are still spoken at length.

"Don't make this personal _Jim_," implores Batman.

"Don't _Jim_ me, I thought I could trust her and you to handle this insanity of people zipping around in costumes, but it appears I was wrong. My daughter is dead now and I because of the eventual discovery of her working for you will have to resign or go for my 'retirement'," snaps Gordon.

"Don't go this way Commissioner," insists Nightwing.

"She was your girlfriend… don't you feel guilty? Don't you think we are within our right to punish someone for this?" suggests Allen.

This is not a friendly chat by a long shot as they are given the summons to be sent below in irons.

"Then there is the matter of the deaths of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen," reminds Bullock.

"This a witch hunt," snaps Huntress.

"Call it what you will, but four people are still dead aside from the man you claim is responsible for their deaths yet the fact remains both you and Nightwing could have stopped him!"

"Come off it Renee!" hisses Huntress.

"Turn yourselves over unless you prefer to resist detainment!"

Nightwing steps back towards the edge of the roof overhang.

"Nobody moves!" shouts Gordon.

"I didn't kill Barbara, I tried to save her, but heck what kind of lives could any of us have without risks, sure being a costume is dangerous yet so is being a cop."

"Don't fiddle with me _Grayson_!"

"If he is _Grayson_ then Batman is…" realizes Bullock.

"Figures it would take someone else to make the leap for you Bullock," snorts Allen.

"Aw, shove it will ya, besides we got these three vigilantes to clap tonight," retorts Bullock.

Nightwing moves to drop off the side except the SWATs open fire impaling him instantly. No time to flap away so he falls tumbling against the side of the building as he goes down.

"Why did you shoot him? I thought you were seeking detainment, not killing!" hisses Huntress.

"Check again... he is not dead… yet anyway." snorts Bullock.

"I'm taking the law back in full to the police in this city. The time for working with vigilantes is over."

* * *

Nightwing grabs onto a protruding flagpole several stories down then pulls himself up even with the blood dripping down the back of his costume. He wipes his mouth then somersaults up to the ledge above and the cops inside take aim at him. A chopper is flying by and remains in a hovering pattern near Nightwing.

"So what is going to be _Wayne_?" quips Gordon.

Batman drops several hidden gas balls then swoops picking up the handed over equipment after socking Bullock and knocking over Allen. Huntress pushes Montoya down, but leaves her unmarred so together they drop off the side passing Nightwing's position. The three make it to a lower rooftop and keep moving as more choppers join the pursuit as the rest of GCPD mobilize to pursue them. The trio drops to the alleyway after several blocks except the cops are gaining all the same. Nightwing turns to fend them off, but this time they are the riot cops, not just regular beat cops.

"Get her out of here Batman!" yells Nightwing.

"We are not going without you Night…" shouts Huntress.

Nightwing falls as if the previous gunshot wounds plus the beating from the riot cops had killed him.

"We have to go Huntress!" snaps Batman.

Together they descend into the sewers, which would make it trickier for the cops to track them, but this would only slow the pursuit for awhile.

* * *

They cover quite a distance through the main sewer lines, but the cops kept up the chase above ground keeping tabs on all entry/exit points should they come back up at any point in the city.

"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, the League is going to get hell over this," groans Huntress.

"Likely, but it might be best if I just turn myself over, give you time to flee," remarks Batman.

"Even if you go willingly, they will still pursue me too," retorts Huntress.

"There is also Tim and Alfred to consider, they won't weather well especially not Tim."

"Right, poor kid and they better leave Pennyworth alone, he is an older man, he is just a butler."

"He's more than that, but yes, if they only took some less severe hook on him."

"Why not have the League take them back to the Tower?" suggests Huntress.

"I thought of that, but if they are wanted for 'questioning' like we were then, them not being at home would put them in a different kind of danger. I'll try to get them some kind of deal, as for you, don't follow me out of here… it is too compromising for us to be caught together."

Batman pricks her with something and she passes out for several minutes.

"Damn you Bruce, no way to track you and now I really am alone again."

It was time to leave Gotham. She had nothing left to lose except her own life she thought to herself. She kept to the sewers even though after a couple of miles the smell got even worse or maybe it was just the smell of her costume. There is no point in breaking into Dick's loft, the cops would be watching it, the same goes for Wayne Manor, and probably even her own place so she turns to the one place she felt certain they would not be looking at so it meant going really out of her way. However she did not know where else to lead herself so she would be casting herself off into the unknown.

Huntress finds her way into the freight train yards and looks stealthily about for indications on ones heading in the general direction of her chosen direction. It would be a long ride and she did not risk sleeping lest she found unconscious if someone gets the smart idea to search trains. It is a cramp fit hiding in a crate that is already almost eighty percent full, but she had no wish to hide in the open in a freight car. Sleep eventually grabs her as it had been too long and harrowing a night or early morning. She had lost her sense of time in the last few hours.

* * *

"_**This is Snapper Carr reporting live from Gotham City. I was unable to get comments from the Commissioner himself regarding several arrests and two of them that apparently went bad as the suspects did not turn themselves over despite 'disarming' as Detective Allen put it. Several high profiled costume 'vigilantes' recently had arrest warrants issued on them in relation to the shootings that happen in California less than three days ago."**_

News footage of the scene in California is shown. Pictures of the dead are put across the screen, but the last one hurt the worst for her as she watches in disguise. She had ditched the costume once she got to Hub City. It was strange coincidence that the freight train was shipping for a clothing company. She also tied her hair in such a way to make herself as unrecognizable as possible. The last image was shown again as the news portion went through a loop like it had always done for the past few years. The recent events were also in the local paper including the revelation of Batman's secret identity, but of course Gordon had shown he had known somehow for some time about the Bat Family's identities though he probably made the connections once he worked out that his daughter was Batgirl.

* * *

Helena heads for Vic's apartment hoping that the police had no leads on his residence, but if Nightwing and Batman had known then it might be only a matter of time before they think to search here if they get in touch with Hub City P.D. However this city looks more in the dumps in some places then Gotham, but what was it that Question or Vic said to her once she seem to be struggling to remember now.

"_Contrasts are foundations to understanding because without them how do we know good from evil, right from wrong, virtue from sin, and further how we know even for a moment which is what we are?"_

He wore virtually identical suits all the time, but she found he kept them well as if suggesting he could also double as a tailor if he had thought about such a profession. He kept a cramped book case of all the literary publications he found worth reading and retaining copies of too. He usually aims for tidiness, some semblance of order, some view of purpose, but it is something she found adorable about him because sometimes she would leave a mess in her apartment for him to clean up. In being here, she felt safe yet she also felt loneliness.

She puts on one of his dark yellow shirts and loosely ties one of his black ties on too. Next she pulls out a pair of his pants and slides them on slowly. The sock draw is full of self-same pairs, but she just shuts the draw again. She locks the door, bolts the windows, closes the blinds, and climbs into bed wanting this whole thing to be just a bad dream except it feels like it won't be going away. It is a fitful sleep as she dreams about the night of the shooting as if affirming the whole thing is as real as it had been four nights ago.

She woke in the dark of Vic's bedroom and found herself just as alone as she thought except the dreams had made her feel less alone even though they were violent because of the shooting. She strips out of his clothes and goes into the shower then turns the water on full. She realizes using the shower might draw attention, but Vic probably pays in advance somehow so it seems like nothing to worry her head over. After she dries off and puts another set of Vic's usual look minus the overcoat and hat, she flicks on the television.

* * *

"_**Justice League spokeswoman Wonder Woman issued a statement pleading that they reconsider the charges against Batman and Huntress. The GCPD is not the only department filing complaints against the costumes as they are now calling them vigilantes all. The Justice Department in coordination with other agencies is told to round them up. Public opinion has taken a sharp turn from the recent wave of positive polls last year."

* * *

**_

The broadcast switches to Metropolis.

* * *

"_**Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent is fingered as being Superman given his association with fugitive Bruce Wayne aka Batman. Nobody has seen him in the days since Wayne's arrest."

* * *

**_

The Metropolis reporter turns the program over to Central City and the process continues through most of the home cities of the costumes she had briefly worked with in the League. She shuts the television off and parts the blinds to glance outside to see if anyone is tracking her to this place as of yet, but so far she had been able to maintain hiding apparently.

"How much worse could this get?" groans Helena.

She pulls off the tie and ponders doing the thing that Dick had made the claim she had been attempting before they found her. Her mind keeps insisting she had found at least three super criminals meeting in the abandoned sublevel that housed Roulette's second Metabrawl that Helena as Huntress had been caught up in last year. She recalls a blackout before waking in the infirmary, but everything since had become progressively worse as if fulfilling her own personal endgame.

"End program!" screams Helena.

Nothing happens, not a simulation, no it felt too real to be that unless it is not possible for her voice to end, but no matter how she would try to inflict damage on anything in the room. All it did was make her hands hurt more so maybe this is as real as she fears it to be, but then what else did she have left to lose. She finishes dressing like Question right down to the mask and gets her first taste of seeing the world through her often faceless lover's disguise face. She had to keep moving, but she kept the aerosol handy as at times it is hard to breathe in the mask.

* * *

She returns to the vicinity of her place over the course of the next two days, but it is tricky even using a freight car a second time. They were bound to be checking all routes by now except as she nears her place something wraps around her wrist and it turns out to be Catwoman of all people.

"Wait a second last time I checked that nut job Question is male, but you are a woman who looks remarkably like him, identify yourself or I am going to carve up that face until I find a face beneath!"

"Back off Selina, I am not here to fight you!"

"What are you doing dressing like your boyfriend?"

"Haven't you been following the news?"

"Right, Bruce has been arrested and you... Huntress... are a wanted woman… why come here with the cops watching the place?"

"I have to work out why things went so horribly wrong!"

"You already know why… people died on your watch and the cops are hunting you for it."

"That is what… not why!"

"Suit yourself besides it looks like nobody knows Question is history though looking like a woman in that look would tip people off."

"So what do you suggest then?"

Another figure emerges from the shadows.

"I suggest you give up… you lost already," says a voice.

"Who are you?" demands Helena.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you Bertinelli?" sneers the voice.

"You look different then the old profile photos that Wayne kept on you, Hush," continues Catwoman.

"Nice to see you too Selina, looking after strays are you?" chuckles Hush.

"You haven't been seen much lately," remarks Helena.

"I know, but with vigilantes out of the way, crime has been making a killing."

A second silhouette steps out to join the three already up here.

"Something told me you be back here before long Huntress," declares Montoya.

"You killed Nightwing!" snaps Helena.

"He let Barbara be shot first!" rebukes Montoya.

"You think we could have anticipated a murder attempt?" retorts Helena.

"Those who with Batman usually are supposed to have that edge, that almost foresight to see danger before it happens, clearly you either knew it might happen or you were complicit in its allowance!"

"I am sick and tired of these insinuations. We didn't kill her, didn't kill anyone that night."

"I am placing you under arrest with the help from these two up here with us."

"What?!?"

"It was sanctioned to chip some years off their sentence if they help us capture vigilantes like you."

"You would work with a sadist like Hush or a thief like Catwoman to catch me?"

"My mandate is whatever it takes to restore law and order to Gotham as well as Bludhaven."

Helena back flips away and realizes she is without her crossbow, which is probably the latest and maybe even the last mistake she'll make tonight. She crashes into a dumpster in the alleyway and whips out the aerosol then pries the mask off.

"No sense in hiding my face now."

She dives under the patrol cars near her apartment complex.

Vic's new car is not anywhere in sight.

_Something is wrong here, really wrong, and beyond the obvious._

She rolls out from under the car and hopes in then hot wires since she doesn't have the keys. It was time to go back to where this nightmare seems to have begun for her. As she drives away Montoya is leading the pursuit to capture her. She pulls straight into the garage and notices her bike like the Pontiac is again no where she left it. Both incidents separately could mean someone had taken the vehicles to impound though the same could apply together except she had left both in such positions they were unlikely to be found immediately let alone in less than two days. She gets out and runs over to the elevator doors except they part to reveal someone is expecting her yet again.

* * *

"You are so close yet so far," says a voice.

"I have come a lot further than you think," rebukes Helena.

"The cops won't get here fast enough so die quickly if you don't mind."

"You won't find me an easy opponent!"

"I am exactly what you are so afraid of little girl!"

"You haven't seen my nightmares!"

"So what do you call this then?"

"My life going into the gutter!"

"Not quite poetry, but guess it suits your disposition now!"

Her opponent seems able to counter her every move.

"You read my mind or something?"

"It doesn't take a telepath to read your moves!"

The roundhouse kick fails as usual.

"Why do I default to that move without knowing it?"

"Force of habit, habits give sense of certainty, but some habits are harder to break than others."

Her opponent slams her into the parking garage square shaped pillar.

"You have lost your edge," cracks the voice.

"No, I lost much more than that," snarls Helena.

She lashes out tackling her opponent then slams the attacker into the asphalt. The silence is eerie before the opponent flips back to her feet and pushes Helena back into another pillar across from this one. As Helena's back lands against she cries out in pain.

"This is not an arena and I am getting bored with you," admits the voice.

"You are just delaying me, you don't want me getting downstairs like I did last time," declares Helena.

"Believe whatever you like Bertinelli, but you will die like your babydoll and your new friends!"

"How do you know my nickname for him?" demands Helena.

"As he would put it, that is the question," cackles the voice.

"That's it… you are going down you sycophant!"

Helena slugs the opponent who stumbles backwards and runs into the opening elevator. She runs towards it next except something hits her from behind just like it did when she was down there the first time.

* * *

She awakens in the former Metabrawl arena, but it is pitch black just as she remembers it being the night she had first come down here in search for someone to tie to the dead assassin that badly wounded everyone that matters to her heart now. However during the lapse between her coming here and waking up at the Metro Tower those that did matter died from their injuries that were presumed to be treatable. She is not alone in the arena as across the way is Catwoman then off to another corner is Montoya and in the opposite from Montoya is another woman that she never thought she again, that woman being Tsukuri.

_Now what are the odds of me being down here with four women that I would know, that Batman would know, that Nightwing would, and that … Question would know? Too many odds, too much coincidence all the way._

There are at least two sets of eyes up in the rafters, but that would mean someone other than her probable captors is watching her.

"It looks like she has come around, give her another dose, and send her back into it. This was the point of this experiment wasn't it? To drive her kind insane?" suggests a familiar male voice.

"What about the others? They could rouse at any moment just like is she doing now!" says a feminine voice.

"Then gas them all!" insists the familiar male voice.

"You heard the man, gas them, for what is more potent than fear itself?" cracks a second male voice.

Her eyes widen in horror when working out why the posture of the first voice's body did look so disturbingly familiar. There is no error to be made about that perpetual smile especially.

_Terrific first everyone that matters dies because I failed to save them and now I am stuck with Scarecrow.  
_

One of her captors prepares to gas her again except something hits the canister spraying the substance towards whoever is holding the fire extinguisher modified to fire the gas. The one with the extinguisher falls backwards, starts convulsing, and then appears almost catatonic.

"So hard to find good help these day yet the aim from our intruders is famous for impeccable!"

"All of you lure them away, this is experiment must continue immediately!"

The silhouettes from the rafters descend as together both smash their clenched fists into the two speakers in front of her. She can tell her wrists are still bound, but someone or something is cutting them.

"Who are you?" mumbles Helena dryly.

"Best not to shock her, we have no idea what they did to her in the last two days."

"Let's just get her out of here and back to the surface."

"I'll take care of that, you two I suggest round up those responsible for this insidious thing."

She felt her heart pounding in her chest when hearing another voice from behind her.

"Easy there, you are safe now, I am getting you out of here, and the others will take care of the rest."

* * *

Together they exit to surface daylight to see a whole deployment of SWAT securing the perimeter. She closes her eyes because it is so bright and she feels too dizzy to remain standing plus suddenly there is a hunger she swore she barely felt for the last two days. As she appears to be slumped over in his arms he could imagine that she got a taste of what Cadmus did to him last year because her heart rate had felt erratic to his touch. A squad of medics takes her from him in order to get her back to the Metro Tower.

The elevator doors part to reveal the expected culprits in cuffs with familiar masks behind them. He walks towards them as they drop to their knees though of course neither looks as menacing to him as they might think themselves. The other male is Bane, now severed from his venom supply.

Scarecrow's female accomplice is Star Sapphire.

"Clever way to hide your apparent fears for the damsel and your own," snips Scarecrow.

He pulls up Scarecrow's hands and grips the villain's fingertips.

"That is supposed to scare me? I am Fear itself!" declares Scarecrow.

"Then you won't be afraid of broken fingers will you?" suggests Question.

Scarecrow yelps at the sound of his fingers cracking all at the same time.

Question teleports back to the Metro Tower leaving Batman and Nightwing to haul the bloodied and bruised criminals back to Arkham.

As for Star Sapphire she must be separated from the sapphire in order to disable her powers.

* * *

The infirmary is a livelier place now though the newly engaged couple is still bed bound until they get the clear to leave, but that won't be for some time now.

"You bounce back quickly Vic, but I don't know about her, she looks like hell," rasps Dinah.

"She's tougher than she looks, but I worry too, the Cadmus nightmares…" remarks Vic.

"Yeah, I can't grasp or imagine that, and nobody knows what those sadists did to her."

"Let's just say I left them with something to remember me by in the hopes that they stay away from her."

Dinah weakly smiles and returns to Helena's bedside. The doctors put her on intravenous temporarily, but now she's the one in the woods instead of him. He went in front of the gun because on some level he didn't believe he'd be as strong as her if their positions were reversed right now. If not for the tracer they wouldn't even had a general idea of where to start looking for her.

Barbara will be on crutches for awhile, but she'll come back somehow especially with Dick around for the rehab. If he had not been so quick she would be in a wheelchair instead of on crutches, but hindsight often triggers flashes of what could have happen if things had gone differently.

Dinah's thigh is still mending as is her throat, but at least she is able to speak though the subsonic cry can't be tested until her throat is fully healed so for now she is off-duty as is Oliver. The chest wounds were bad, but they got the bullets out plus they had to drain to stem the internal bleeding.

Catwoman and Tsukuri were brought in later though kept sedated through it all in order for the gas to run its course. The same is done for Montoya, but it appears Helena is the only who had overcome the effects without medical help.

* * *

As day turns to night, he takes the next watch as Dinah is looking to rest her leg and probably cozy up with Oliver. His still healing wounds still felt tender as well, but he went after her knowing that he might make it worse except on some level he actually felt guilt of his own for his acts the night the four of them were shot. However the way Dick spoke to him during their search had given him the impression that she felt infinitely worse than him. It was also breaking promises of a kind by stepping in the way of a gun, but it was halfway selfish and halfway selfless act. Still it had him shook up though they had to pull through this somehow, it is after all what they have always done.

However this time they would both have something fresh to carry and he could tell it well as he watches her sleep albeit fitfully at times. He reclines in his seat next to her bed and tries to get some sleep of his own, but somehow it is broken and random. He rouses to sound of her screaming and does his best to calm her, reassure her.

"Not real, nightmare, you are dead, they are all dead… failure… failed…" sobs Helena.

"This is real, I am real, you are here with me, you saw a surreal nightmare," insists Vic.

She continues to cry so he climbs into bed next to her and he feels his undershirt dampen from her tears, but right now it is better to just let her cry, for the cycles take as long as they need to run because otherwise it means limbo of a bad kind.

"Shh… just cry… shirt's not important anyway," whispers Vic.

There is nothing left to do now except sit in silence as tears stream down her face She eventually falls back to sleep though she clings to him tightly, but he won't move, he needs to be here, be her anchor to reality, to remind her that there is something to wake up for now.

_I follow tangents, but this is one that keeps going without a fixed answer because it doesn't exist in a constant state for it is in flux, such is love, such is Helena._

He strokes her hair wondering if her being in this state is his fault. She starts mumbling in her sleep.

"Babydoll… where are you?" murmurs Helena.

"Right here… Helena," sighs Vic.

She weakly smiles with her eyes closed and her grip on him tightens slightly. He drifts off to sleep though doesn't note that his grip is equally tighter on her as well. He had to admit inwardly she had taken hold of him in more ways than just her ability to pin him down wherever they went together.

* * *

A/N 1: Helena gets a taste of her own personal hell from a rather familiar source, inspired by TNBA episode **Over The Edge**. Her active participation in it is a reversal of Barbara dying concept. In this version Barbara, Dinah, Oliver, and Vic perish from the gun shot wounds in the last chapter.

A/N 2: The consequences are likewise more fatal as it affects apparently the entire Bat Family and perhaps the League as a whole.

A/N 3: As for Helena wearing the Question look, I think that speaks for itself. As for an explanation, she does it as a way to be close to him as she believes he is dead until later. Sad, sappy, romantic, but that's them in some sense of the word.

A/N 4: It felt like a plot gamble to put them through this, but somehow I always found the episodes that made me think were often ones that had such plot intensity that they become favorites of mine.

A/N 5: I wasn't aware immediately that Jeffrey Combs was the new V.O. for Scarecrow during TNBA. However Combs has already proven a versatile actor on-screen too, best example ST:DS9. His V.O and the revamp Scarecrow look actually scared me in contrast to the BtAS variants.


	21. Arms

"_**Leading inventor and industrialist Ted Kord of Kord Industries is expected to attend the International Technologies Summit being held this year in Montenegro. Other expected high profile personalities include the Lexcorp duo CEO Mercy Graves and CFO Maxwell Lord."**_

_What's Blue Beetle doing attending that charade? Of course nobody thinks that a meeting like that is meant to be anything more than a corporate summit. It means the Illuminati is on the move, but then I have thought their hand to be in other things lately including the murder attempts that I got caught in. _

"_**CEO Bruce Wayne is also on the guest list as well as the recently engaged philanthropist Oliver Queen. There is much chatter about who if any women will be with Wayne on this occasion and there is a fair amount of curiosity about Queen's fiancée."**_

_Somebody shot at you and her last month. Now you are going halfway across the world for a summit, somebody other than Batman is going to have to watch your back on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if the woman going with Bruce isn't Diana. Diana isn't exactly pro-technology anyway._

It had been a perilous time between the murder attempts and Helena in the Huntress guise being subject to Scarecrow's newest fear gas experiment. He did not confine to testing on costumes as he had gotten to her, to Montoya, to Catwoman, and to the villainess Tsukuri. It is more of a mystery why he went after Tsukuri, but then the super villains almost completely stopped working together after the last run in with Darkseid.

"Please don't tell me you got some strange idea to 'visit' Queen during this summit. I have had enough travel for now. Whenever they have the wedding, I'll be up to traveling then, but not right now. So just come back to bed please," murmurs Helena.

_I would have broken more than his fingers for what he did to her, but then it would make me less me. I went in front of the KGBeast's gun as he shot at her in order to keep her from being hit. Some part of me knows I would be as much a wreck as her emotionally or psychologically right now if our positions were reversed. Stitches the bullet holes are gone, but there is a lingering sensation of where I was shot._

Vic switches off the television and returns to bed where she is half awake. She had put on one his dark yellow button down shirts. It did look good on her to him, but somehow there are other reasons for her wearing it unless he is assigning further meaning to something that is merely her liking his shirt.

After he lies down, she moves herself atop him and starts kissing him in an almost hungry way. Her body had its way of telling his that she misses his warmth among other things right now. He kisses her neck as his fingertips run down her back. She sighs and he unbuttons the shirt on her and she smiles at him mischievously.

She had been around for some of his nightmares after the Cadmus torture and he felt a lasting compulsion to stay with her as much as possible, whether at her place or his. Lately she had been coming to his more frequently than he going to hers. She is the first other than him to sleep on this bed so he made some effort to make it more comfortable. Recent events left him feeling guilt akin to what he felt after she got him out of Cadmus last year.

He buries it for now because his attention belongs on her yet there is often memory intrusion.

_I can usually bring answers to everyone's problems or queries, but me, no I am usually a master at making my own problems or queries lead to further of the same kind._

She kisses him on the lips. Her tongue goes into his mouth and starts playing with his. He goes flow with flow as if following her intensity with his own. There are things one always does alone and there are things one always does together, this is more of the latter. These moments are their refuge or so he had come to believe to be the case. Another one of those lovers' type holidays is not far off and for the first time he actually had someone to consider whether she would want to celebrate it or not, but some part of him tells she might though not in a way he could predict at all.

She had become unpredictable in ways he could not anticipate, but it did not bother him as much as it might have last year. Love as he grasps is still very much an enigma albeit it takes an irresistible and undeniable feminine figure in his mind. They would both be very sore later, but they would both feel quite high if his previous experiences in bed with her were anything to go on. He usually never left the bed after they were done because they usually never did reach done as it had taken much out of both them between foreplay and the act itself.

Together they get lost inside each other and in each other's arms. It is a true notion of how they slept together and not an effort to romanticize having sex to his mind. There are many ways to heal bodies, but healing if at all possible for minds takes much more creativity.

Hours later she is asleep in his arms and he had briefly gotten out of bed to check locks before sliding back into place after giving her a spare pillow to hold just so she get the impression of him still there. It took some tickling to loosen her grip on him earlier and again when trying to take his place back from a pillow of all things. She noisily giggled in her sleep, which did relieve him as opposed to hearing her cries, yells, sobs, and a range of other pained sounds she had made almost every time she slept since the gas exposure.

He let sleep claim him too after awhile longer. His own nightmares had not completely subsided after all this time either, but he had in part that sadistic Dr. Moon to 'thank' for those occurrences. He can vaguely remember Superman knocking or kicking down the massive door to the interrogation chamber, but he had lost all sense of time after his encounter with Luthor before Brainiac fully reveals how Luthor had become almost metahuman.

* * *

He awoke to find her not in bed. He can hear the water running from the bathroom. He jiggles the knob, it is unresponsive, and he pulls out a compact screwdriver with a worry in mind that she might have locked the door on purpose. There is no way to be sure if he is being too paranoid or if she just wants privacy while showering. He taps on the door.

"You in the shower?" asks Vic.

"Yes, I'll be out soon," answers Helena.

"Just checking," replies Vic.

"You want join me?" teases Helena.

"Been awhile since we did that one," reminds Vic.

He puts away the screwdriver upon hearing both her foot falls and water pattering against the tiles of the bathroom. His bathroom in contrast with hers only is just barely enough for two people. The door opens and she just stands there almost grinning at him. There's something of a shine to her even with her dripping wet as it reminds him of her perspiring during sex, either way she is so alive to him.

"Now that looks like an answer to me," giggles Helena.

He walks towards and takes her into his arms before they go back towards the shower stall. Nothing quite the same as getting caught together in the rain or in this moment sharing a shower together. He decides to be tender yet careful. There is no need to rush, no world at stake, he resists the nudge to think the word yet among other words. The realization of need brings with it the fear of loss. Until he had found himself caught up in her presence need used to only apply to his modus operandi and the loss only meant loss of sleep over his work, but in having her in his life, in his arms did change everything. Everything for him at any rate though of course the full realization of it had come when Luthor had beat the snot out of him though at the time he did not know Luthor was being augmented by a copy of Brainiac that had been in for years.

* * *

_Luthor's motives had been typical of him despite the almost convincing charade he put on until he had given the reveal to Question went to kill him. The rest after that had been a tormenting experience as every emotion he had not really felt so acutely was given such a magnification that he could hope to withstand the strain indefinitely, eventually they could break him, but somehow he held out. He would not consider what might have happen if she did fail in her attempt to get him out. He at times felt wrong for putting her in that position, but the irrationality of love is not quite as irrational as it sounds because he had shyly told her his intentions for helping her to pursue Mandragora.

* * *

_

He had not been expecting her to kiss him. It wouldn't be the last time she would surprise him either.

* * *

_Once in Cadmus' custody his focus had become entirely mental and so he had to rely on his own training to weather Moon's attempts to break him. The electric shocks, the neural stimulation, the verbal taunting, and other things that could be seen as demeaning physically, but that had been part of why he broke fingers or wrists of certain villains as of late. It had been a reminder that they were best aware not to mess with him or those closest to him ever again. He is not violent by nature, but he had not forgotten what they did to him or to her._

Helena is kissing his shoulders and running her nails softly against his back.

* * *

_In between sessions with Moon and certain members of Task Force X, during the week he had kept trying to remember less, he had gotten visits from Atom. At first Atom said nothing, he just seem to stand there as if merely observing him. The second time he couldn't tell what Atom was holding in his palm, but it did look like an earpiece comlink. It might have been his or might have been Atom's though more likely it could be his though in order for them to prevent the League from finding either of them this facility had to have comlink shielding and probably even lead shielding to counter X-Ray vision._

**"_I am ordered to dispose of this. I was ordered to bring you here. I am ordered to keep you here. I don't even know why I am telling you this as you are barely conscious anyway. When I decided to follow orders again I didn't think it meant this, but the last time I followed orders I became Captain Atom."_**

_He left the vicinity of Question's cell. Atom didn't reappear until the next time he was taken to a session with Dr. Moon. He was always made the handler to and from Moon's 'lab'. The lab was not a really a lab. It was more like a torture chamber with every device, mechanism, and tool imaginable to conduct interrogation with very little interaction with the 'subject'. Atom often just stood there for a few seconds after bring Question there and heard the usual one sided banter from Moon as he hooked up all the wires. Question could see the reluctance in Atom's expression, but of course he stood there the first few times without betraying a reaction. Each time it took more and more for Atom to resist killing Moon or at least Question thought this given the way he would cross his arms, look away, or stay longer._

_Each time on the way back to the cell, they pass by so many self-same looking Cadmus Security personnel. Each drop off for the cell had become wearier as Question's body is crossing thresholds that have really been put over humans._

**"_The point of these interrogations is lost on me. I was told you stole vast amounts of highly classified data from Cadmus, but all you did in response to whatever you found was try to kill Luthor. However from my perspective it looked like he could have killed you in that office despite his claims to the contrary."_**

Vic can hear her panting as they are doing it in the shower again. The water is pouring down on both of them. Her hair is soaking wet yet she rarely looks this tantalizing to him. The insanity of the world isn't theirs, but separately whatever made people view them as insane seem to disappear when they were together. He remembers bragging that she was drawn to his eccentric charm.

_Another of Captain Atom's one sided conversations splinters through his effort to block it out._

**"_Why not just tell them what they want to know? It could end this sooner than it would if you tell them nothing. Surely you want this to end don't you Question?"_**

_He couldn't tell them anything because then he would be broken and they would have done it where so much else had not done it. It is the principle of resistance, the momentum of perseverance, but most of all compromise would compound, maybe even complete the failure of what he had tried to do in the belief that it would prevent Armageddon. Moon didn't give a damn what it would take to crack him and eventually Cadmus hierarchy would pressure Moon for results if they had not already._

_The nightmares that the torture give him only worsen with each exposure to Moon's latest technique, which is repeatedly shows him what happens if the League went rogue like the Lords. He awakens or thinks he is awakening in the cell. Atom is here for him, but this time some part of him seeks to resist being taken for another dose of Moon's machine. Question can hear muffled voices out in the corridor. One sounds distinctly like Luthor, another sounds more gruff probably Eiling, and the third sounds lower yet on the feminine side likely to be Waller._

**"**_**His resistance is strange given his almost stoic compliance with previous sessions,"** comments Waller._

**"**_**Perhaps he needs a reminder of why he is wrong to challenge authority,"** suggest Luthor._

**"**_**Captain, subdue by whatever means necessary and take the prisoner to Moon,"** orders Eiling._

_Atom advances towards Question, he is being slow even for him, but Question sees why now._

**"**_**You did report he has told nothing except babble nonsense so far,"** reminds Luthor._

_Atom attempts to grab Question with his bare hands, but Question backs toward the far wall._

**"**_**Time is of essence, we need to know what he found out, Captain,"** demands Waller._

**"**_**If you have to blast him, I recommend that you do it now,"** barks Eiling._

_Question braced for the blast yet when it had come it did not hurt as much as he thought it would, but then it was preferable to the electric shocks that come with Moon's machine that made him see exactly what he was afraid even though nobody else saw it. He would experience his nightmares alone from the start, but she would save him from it, he held onto that despite the anguish of having put her in that position pressing against him at times.

* * *

_

It didn't matter that the shower left both soaked to the bone and it feels like the sex had given even him a voracious appetite. She uses a combination of what she brought with her in conjunction with what she found in his kitchen. He didn't need a gourmet meal, but it is what she made it all the same. It took much energy out of both of us he thought as he almost gobbles up everything short of the crumbs. She covers her mouth as she is practically snickering at him, but he did not mind that, he is always short of trying to make her laugh after what happen with the fear gas.

First his cell phone went off, and then hers went off, which is like an anomaly turning into a trend.

"_Hey Vic, I guess you heard I am going to that summit in Montenegro…" _says Oliver.

"It was on the news earlier Oliver… saw Bruce is going too…" answers Vic.

"_Yep I also saw Ted Kord on the list too. He is an unexpected name…"_ continues Oliver.

"If you are expecting me to join this unofficial costume jaunt… I must decline…"

"_Sounds rather unlike you… I was practically expecting a call from you or you turning up with Huntress."_

"I am declining for something other than professional interest in the summit."

"_I understand you two have been through things that neither Dinah nor I have been through aside from being shot at last month."_

"I would think you would be ducking public appearances with that count."

"_I have, but even though I don't officially run my parents' company anymore, they still have me be their poster boy from time to time."_

"Right can't afford to have an image slip. Bad PR, though I'd expect that more from Bruce than you."

"_I also thought you and Helena could use a real vacation away from our usual haunts."_

"Helena had been insistent that we just stay put in Hub City."

"_Like I said, I get why you and her wouldn't want to travel especially with recent events."_

"So why press the suggestion twice in a single phone call?"

"_Call it an offer from a friend. Stay or go, it's a call for you and her to make. We leave in two days."

* * *

_

Helena walks into a different part of the apartment wearing one of his yellow shirts like before.

"_Hi Helena, how you feeling?" _asks Dinah.

"Better than usual if you know what I mean," admits Helena.

"_He's quite the animal in bed huh?"_ implies Dinah.

"I wouldn't brag, but he is creative to say the least."

"_Keeps it hot, heavy, and surprising I bet."_

"I doubt you are calling about just that."

"_Can't a friend just call a friend?"_

"Sorry to sound so suspicious, I just want to get away from this look a lot more than usual."

"_Crane put you through your own hell."_

"All my senses had given me these impressions that the whole thing had been real. Nothing out of place at least until I began noticing certain things not like where I left them like the car or my bike."

"_I heard Vic broke some fingers after he got you back to the surface."_

"When he had left Lawton with broken wrists around the same time that transducer blew up his car. We had our first lip to lip kiss in that car. Not that I am sentimental about anything, but I swear being in love alters perspective."

"_It certainly does that, it did for me, of course I did almost hit Ollie over the head with my helmet the night I was chasing you and Vic during that business with Mandragora."_

"Guess I am not the only one who attests to some personal attachment to vehicles. Sorry your bike got wasted on that one. Vic beat the train and you two could have ended up crushed if Oliver didn't call for a teleport."

"_I know he did the right thing, I was just flustered, but I had fun building a new one plus I found your design to be quite a feat of engineering itself. Guess you used its tracking system to follow me to Roulette's place."_

"You were quite run down and the bike engine did cover my firing the tracer as well as its activation. After that I tailed you back to your place. You literally passed out once you got inside, didn't even bother with the lights, but before I knew you were up and following the call to Metabrawl."

"_I am going with Ollie to Montenegro. I know you and probably Vic don't want to be traveling right now, but maybe getting away from Gotham and Bludhaven will be good for you, change of scenery."_

"I could tell Vic's curiosity was active when he saw the broadcast announcing the summit. I told him to forget about thinking of going, but of course, the idea of vacation, a real vacation is appealing."

"_The flight departure is in two days. I hear Montenegro is quite lovely this time of year."

* * *

_

Both calls end almost simultaneously.

"You think we both got almost duped into going with them?" cracks Vic.

"They can be very persuasive, but I guess they had a mutual point," jests Helena.

"Vacation… I don't think I have ever taken one at least not all recently."

"We had our holidays, but now I think a vacation is in order… excuse to go shopping for sure."

"I had a feeling you would say that…"

"I had a feeling you would say that too…"

They kiss before moving onto dessert, which consists of several different kinds of chocolate. She apparently made a point of introducing him to a wider palate than he was used to eating in general.

[+++]

The flight two days later is uneventful, but he didn't mind that. Sleeping on the plane proves more of a challenge as he rarely flies anywhere. He wouldn't bother laughing when somebody said didn't he hear that flying is statistically safer. The statistics on every mode of travel are proof of risk, which is higher depends on more than statistics. He often had the gut feeling that certain methods have accidents that are not really accidents from time to time. Some accidents are because of design arrogance and not the experience of its crew or the readiness of its passengers. He could list dozens of historical incidents where design arrogance had a hand to play in countless so called accidents though everyone pays almost the most attention to the _**Titanic**_ incident.

There are other lesser mentioned vessels and many were lost without people in general knowing anything about them. The Philadelphia Project is another culturally popular conspiracy though often nods are made to it in other mediums despite the history of denials that such an experiment was ever done. The conspiracy oriented X-Files even did an episode on it and how exactly Vic knows about this is a point of interest as rarely does anyone attempt to gaze into the mentality of someone who believes in conspiracy.

He seriously hopes no one bothers to make some corny analogy between him and Fox Mulder, but it is bound to happen, whether they said to him directly or not. The actors that portrayed Mulder and Scully actually held the opposite beliefs to their on-screen characters, which did strike him as curious. However actors are often portraying characters that bear passing resemblance or almost no resemblance to themselves. It is a form of escapism that a few admit to indulging and for others it is an art form.

The memories of the interrogations intrude on him as he slept during intermittently during the flight.

* * *

_The visuals usually did involve Luthor being sworn in as President of the United States on the steps of Capitol Hill. Random blurs for the beginnings of an interplanetary war between governments and their resident costume heroes. Heroes are being slain in every manner imaginable including Flash being shot in the forehead at close range on the White House front lawn by President Luthor. Flash is usually held down by soldiers. He looks beaten up, worn out, and he has not strength or energy to speed away. He is cut down by a single gunshot. It starts anew with Superman vaporizing the Oval Office for starters including Luthor._

_The war spreads like wildfire throughout the world. Armageddon in every sense of the word and often he is shown as someone who survives to witness a world in flames. He is shown head stones of familiar costume names though the most heart wrenching of is hers. It is usually hers above all the others dying that causes him to howl in pain and remorse even when some part of him knows this is just another apocalyptic simulation being sent to his brain by Moon._

_However these onslaught of images are worse than fully imaginable tangents because his brain is under the sway of something manipulating what is mind is receiving and driving him ever closer to dementia. If he had the strength he would force Moon to into being on the receiving end of his machine._

"_**This doesn't have to continue. I can stop you from seeing these images at any time."**_

_The surges end for the moment. Moon grips his jawbone and looks at him from behind dark glasses._

"_**You stole files from our computer. Just tell me what you have learned."**_

"_**Topically applied fluoride doesn't prevent tooth decay! It does render teeth detectable by spy satellite!"**_

_The electric discharge surges through him again trigger yet another convulsion just like all the others before it. He had not grown immune to it. He just kept focusing on not so random information in his brain so by pushing himself mentally he had been able to stave off the side effects of the shocks until he left this chamber of horrors as they might call it later._

"_**Tell me what you know."**_

"_**The plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister!"**_

_Another jolt of discharges and surges only precede more screams as his nerves go on fire again. It stops again. Moon repeats himself again demanding Question tells him what he knows from the files._

"_**There was a magic bullet. It was forged by Illuminati mystics to prevent us from learning the truth!"**_

"_**Have it your way. This will continue until I break you…"**_

_The discharges and surges resume again as Moon turns the dial gain upwards further than before._

"… _**Maybe even afterward,"**__ sneers Moon._

_His screams only got louder. Nobody appears to give a damn that a man is being tortured because he had been trying to prevent the destruction of his world and the death of the only woman that means everything to him now. His eyes felt like they stung though not from the shocks, maybe tears.

* * *

_

He awoke abruptly as the private plane being used to fly them over to England descends into a rain storm over the destination city.

He couldn't work out why he is remembering the Cadmus captivity again. It might be due to his irregular efforts to repress the memories or maybe it had to do with what happen as a result of Helena being a prisoner of Scarecrow. He had known before his transfer to the Cadmus New Mexico facility that Atom had misgivings about his current deployment, but Atom retains a respect for chain of command so he was unlikely to break the rules directly.

However nobody else did appear in his eyes to have issues with what they were doing especially to him.

Nobody except Captain Atom, but of course duty bound the captain keeps watch on this particular sublevel because he had been expecting someone to come for Question. He would follow his orders, but that more and more this operation begins to bother him perhaps. Each time Atom saw him, he looked like he was a man waiting to die and what they were putting him through in some ways was by repetition more painful than the metamorphosis from Adams to Atom.

Vic had not seen the two of them together much since Lawton's attempt to kill them, but they did appear to be starting over. However there is no way of knowing what if anything will happen between them.

The blackouts after the sessions with Moon only got worse to the point that he lost all sense of time. He didn't remembering being taken back to his cell. He had suspicions why they left his mask even though they probably knew how to remove it. It was a further torment because he never wore the mask for long spans. He usually never slept with it on unless the work kept him up to the point of exhaustion, but the whole time down there, he would alternate between erratic intervals of consciousness and unconsciousness. There was never any sleep or dreams. There were only the sessions or the nightmares.

* * *

"_**I don't expect you to forgive me if either of us survives this conflict. They expect me to take you back to Moon while Superman and Huntress are going up against the surface forces. There's a battle being fought and they want me to keep playing jailer. I follow orders, it is what I do, but what does it cost?"**_

_It is a long walk to the interrogation chambers and Atom continues to talk in whispers._

"_**I don't have anything left in this world to lose except what I believe," **__confesses Atom._

"_**War is coming. We both still have something to be lost to us," **__groans Question._

"_**After all this, she wouldn't want me back in her life."**_

"_**Then the world is over for you unless it isn't."**_

"_**Is that why you resist Moon's interrogations?"**_

_The silence is an answer, but Question felt a lack of physical strength after pushing to just sparsely converse with Atom. Atom would have a crossroads of his own to face when they got down here. Question understood why she had taken such life threatening risks because love lacks the definition meaning of rational. Her love for him had given her something that she perhaps thought lost to her since her parents' murder and what motivates her to some extent is the fear of losing him. This is the source of a lingering anguish to be the one that breaks her heart._

_Nothing could stop her from getting to this room short of her own death._

_He is back on the table after that unexpected chat with Atom.

* * *

_

The rest beyond that conversation is a blur right up to the moment that Huntress hit Moon square across the face and sent him flying away across his chamber of horrors. Superman broke the restraints holding him vertical and Huntress returns to him after backing away from killing Moon. Undoubtedly there were countless others she had probably come close to killing the whole way down to his position. Neither he nor she would speak of the situation that much, but both of them as he thought would be carrying the experience with them forever just as she would have the one from Scarecrow's experiment.

[+++]

The six that took Wayne's private jet and the train that traverses the Channel Tunnel are now aboard the Adriatic Express. The train would take them the rest of the way to Montenegro. The landscapes were something to behold because he never seen this part of the world or at least if he had any memories of such places he could not recall them. As one gets older certain times lose cohesion and others become more specific. Memory is written in pencil his mother used to joke to him, but she had a point after all this time.

"Beautiful countryside isn't it babydoll?" says Helena.

"Hmm?" murmurs Vic.

"Nice to see you absorbed with something like that."

"You don't see much just flow with the land back home."

"No, much just goes out, then up, and carves through the land."

"It is not without charm, but why does a fascination with travel continue?"

"It is to get away from the familiar or a penchant for the exotic?"

"The unfamiliar is outside, but the exotic belongs to someone else."

She smiles at him knowingly and plants a long one on him for that indirect compliment.

"It looks like you two skipped straight to dessert again didn't you?" snickers Dinah.

"We are heading away from Calais, but this is still France for a little longer," reminds Oliver.

Helena has a faint blush and Vic shows some flush in his cheeks.

"Bruce is still in his cabin with her," remarks Dinah.

"Better that Diana doesn't know he is here with you-know-who," comments Oliver.

"You really think Diana would be jealous of her?" suggests Helena.

"Yes, but she wouldn't say it, she is too…" says Dinah.

"I believe the phrase you are looking for is stuck-up," interjects Vic.

Helena smacks Vic's arm for saying that particular turn of a phrase.

"Who said that about her anyway?" queries Dinah.

"Mike Maxwell," answers Vic.

"Wasn't he put on a mission when she was turned into…" continues Helena.

"Yep that's the one," snorts Oliver.

Dinah gently hits Oliver against the back of head.

"Zatanna told me something rather juicy about the whole thing," confesses Dinah.

"Something embarrassing about Batman probably," guesses Helena.

"You heard about this before?" queries Dinah.

"It just fits the people involved… but do go on," insists Helena.

"He had to sing in order for Circe to lift the spell," answers Dinah.

Both women crack up laughing for a few minutes.

Vic didn't bother mentioning he had known about before they did because he heard about it the same time that Zatanna told Diana about it, but of course Diana had heard the song a few times that she went to Iceberg Lounge on her own. She probably heard the song even before Zatanna told her that Bruce had sung it to convince Circe to lift the spell. It is imaginable that she might have made some sort of gesture to indicate to Batman that she heard the song before. It would be very much like her if Vic could really claim to grasp the ways that a woman teases a man without dressing a certain way or taking her clothes off.

Bruce and his traveling companion pass the four of them. This new woman in Bruce's life is someone that none of the others have had some manner of contact with other the years. A woman named Vesper Fairchild and her motives for being close to Wayne appear to be oriented by her profession as a reporter who doubles as a radio personality. She had been in and out of his life almost as frequently as Selina Kyle. At first the rumor is that he brought Kyle along for this trip, but once the four saw Vesper they had known who 'won' out as his 'cover' companion. Nobody wants to guess what Diana will think when hears about this, but more likely her reaction would be stronger if he had gone with Selina Kyle.

"One has to wonder if Vesper knows about his night life," says Dinah.

"Plenty of other women who have and have not slept with him know," remarks Helena.

"The ratio of women to men who know this secret is kind of funny too," continues Oliver.

"Why does that seem funny or even surprising in the slightest to you Oliver?" jests Vic.

Oliver shrugs and the waitress brings their dinners.

Ted Kord arrives in the company of a woman, but she apparently is not this trip in a romantic capacity at least that's what her posture suggests to Vic.

_First Vesper and now Sasha… how many women that have fallen hard for Bruce or Batman are going to turn up on this trip?_

Vic turns his hands' attention to eating despite his suspicions about Vesper and Sasha on this trip.

_She could be here as security for Kord. No way to know unless I ask Bruce or Ted, but either way she'll tip her hand on her own so let her do that instead of asking as if I were suddenly back to full time paranoia.

* * *

_

The remainder of the transit is uneventful aside from a few new variables in the situation. There is an invitation from an attaché named Josephine Tautin to have lunch with her. The invite lists Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, and their 'assistants'. Vic and Helena were alleged the only ones to know this part of the cover story. They decide to play along to see what the deal is with this attaché. The hotel's equivalent of a taxi service drops them off at Tautin's chosen outdoor restaurant in Montenegro.

They tell the maître d who is expecting them for lunch and a waiter takes them to Tautin's table. Each makes a light order since the meeting should be brief because not even Vic had been expecting to encounter someone from the government when only business is expected to be mixing at this summit. However he remembers Hardcastle's last confession about the ties between business and government being a lot closer than is generally known by the world's population.

"Let's just say an old friend told me to be on the lookout for your 'entourage' given the recent events. His government won't venture officially looking like they were playing favorites again even though they trust your 'associates' more than they trust their own 'partners' for the moment," says Tautin.

"You care to divulge who this mutual old friend is or is this going to be one of those need to know situations like your 'company' is famously known for being from time to time," remarks Oliver.

"You all have all met him in the past, but that's all I am allowed to tell you about him. The rest what I am telling you pertains to another familiar face to your 'associates'. He got here the earliest of all the people on the list for the summit and I don't think you need a name for that one," continues Tautin.

"You couldn't expect anything less from him and I bet he didn't come alone at his arrival at the hotel did he?" probes Vic.

"No, he is here with her just as expected, but they can run things no matter where they are in the world. Our old friend however expresses concerns that so many of your 'associates' are present for this event, but he understands the necessity behind certain ones being here."

"So he worries about the unexpected travelers does he?"

"Correct as usual for you. Almost nothing gets pass you."

Vic shows no sign of satisfaction in being right besides the other rumors that were still going around about someone else this woman is likely about to tell them about without naming as per code.

"One further thing before I go. There is another unconfirmed yet known rival entity active again."

"Who are you referring to now?" asks Dinah.

"Your assistants will know who I mean. I'll be seeing you and be mindful aside from this being a lovely tourist spot, there are things to be careful of aside from I have told you. Thanks for the lunch."

The ride back to the hotel is a silent one. It is much for them to let sink in especially for Helena.

* * *

"So could you work out what she was talking about back there?" queries Dinah.

"The old friend is King Faraday. The entourage refers to the known six costumes present in Montenegro. It also refers to Vesper and Sasha. Sasha Bordeaux is the woman traveling with Ted Kord. She also made note that Lord and Graves got here before us, which is not surprising to me," answers Vic.

It didn't take much guessing for any of them to work out who the rival is that Tautin spoke of before departing the restaurant. It is the one individual that especially Helena thought she could put almost completely out of mind by now except nothing is ever over as Question already had held as a precept.

Time is relative to the observer for past, present, and future is filters to assign some notions of separations between memories except for some the separation does not exist because some contend it's a coping mechanism for those who do not experience tangents. Vic is one of those people, but he had known that for years. The ability is not supernatural or superhuman because some experience their memories in ways far more sharp ways than almost everyone else.

"The rival is Steven Mandragora. There were rumors circulating that someone was trying to spring him from prison, but most times it turned out to be false or foiled in the case of Deadshot. However Deadshot's most recent arrest had kept that from happening, but someone broke him out."

"They have any idea how did finally manage to pull that feat off?" demands Helena.

"I'll have to run searches to find out, but someone clearly had used unconventional means."

"The fact remains that we are now almost on what you could call his home turf or what he would call the old country," sighs Helena.

"So I guess we should expect him to turn up eventually," resigns Oliver.

"I wish he would stay away I have had enough of him for one lifetime," hisses Helena.

Vic closes his laptop after searching covertly into the prison where Mandragora had been since the trial.

"There are repeated loops in the records on several occasions so somebody was obviously meeting with him, but they didn't want their presence known. It'll take time to recover the real footage if it is still intact. It is clear however that they did not take him through any listed entry/exit," remarks Vic.

"Unless somebody is using a teleporter I don't see how someone could get him out," continues Dinah.

"Maybe Fate, Zatanna, or Jason should examine the scene for clues," suggests Oliver.

"You are thinking that it was a supernatural breakout?" remarks Helena.

"We can't eliminate any possibility and so far too many familiar faces have been turning up."

The four enter the hotel and go straight for the front desk where Oliver asks for their rooms.

"At least this place doesn't have elevator music," jests Dinah.

"These kinds of hotels are not known for that," comments Helena.

"You and I are going shopping. I saw they have a few stores so why not check it out?" offers Dinah.

"I am definitely not just gonna sit around and dwell about Mandragora coming after me."

"Now that's the spirit, but first check out the rooms."

"Definitely prefer a real bed to the ones they had on the train."

Vic and Oliver trade looks as if knowing they could be almost like sisters.

* * *

The rooms are luxurious to say the least about them.

"We have separate rooms, but there is a connecting door," says Oliver

"We should get a bed like this at home Ollie," implores Dinah.

"That comfortable?" chuckles Oliver.

On the other side of the connecting door, Vic and Helena are halfway undressed before ending up in an equally comfortable bed.

"So much for trying to take a vacation," murmurs Helena.

"It can still be that," whispers Vic.

"What makes you so sure?" asks Helena.

"Just remember our first night together," answers Vic.

She kisses him deeply and undoes his tie. He pulls out the barrette in her hair ever so slowly. She indulges his slowness because it makes their intimate moments last longer. He inhales her perfume knowing that both of them wanted to put aside this afternoon's news from back home.

She falls asleep halfway through the afternoon. As for Vic, he took some time to sleep too.

* * *

A/N 1: The fact they are going to Montenegro is a nod to my favorite James Bond movie, the 2006 _**Casino Royale**_. Several notable company personalities are attending a summit there. Josephine Tautin fills a role similar to Rene Mathis from Royale and she knows King Faraday. I got the idea from the fact both were involved with Checkmate in the comics.

A/N 2: Enter Ted Kord aka Blue Beetle. He appears in the JLU comics. Likewise his comics counterpart is an inventor and owner of Kord Industries. His 'companion' is Sasha Bordeaux yet another woman from the comics who had romantic ties to Bruce Wayne.

A/N 3: Bruce's 'cover' companion Vesper Fairchild is also a love interest for Bruce in the comics.

A/N 4: Vic is still experiencing the lingering effects of what happen to him during his time in Cadmus custody. I originally had this in mind as a chapter by itself, but somehow it weaves along with this one.


	22. Links

"Best bed I have slept on in days," sighs Helena.

"Maybe we should get one for your apartment too," suggests Vic.

"Maybe you should think about moving in with me," offers Helena.

"I'm not sure if…" starts Vic.

"Not sure if you are ready for that?" says Helena.

"Something along those lines," murmurs Vic.

"Maybe I could find a place in Hub City then," comments Helena.

"No need to get into all that yet," assures Vic.

"If you say so, just thought I might broach the topic," finishes Helena.

"It is something we will have to talk about sooner rather than later," concludes Vic.

_He loves me. He is just afraid at times of everything and everyone else maybe._

She runs her fingertips along his bare chest yet not quite going near where the bullet hit his torso over a month ago. He had other scars, ones on the inside, ones from what Moon did to his mind, and those would take longer. She had some of her own as a result of Scarecrow's fear gas making her believe the worse had happen to him and to the others close to her. Dinah had told her about how Question broke some of Scarecrow's fingers after he got her away from him. She didn't mind much because if she had the strength she would have found out if the fear user had any stuffing left in him by kicking it out of him. She figures its time to hit the stores or other parts of the hotel.

"I'll be out for awhile with Dinah. See you when I get back," says Helena.

"Not much for me to do, maybe ask questions," chuckles Vic.

"Asking is fine, but doing, you don't do alone," reminds Helena.

"I wouldn't dream of it," answers Vic.

"Part of me wouldn't mind staying here or going with you," continues Helena.

"I know, but the point is we are on vacation too," remarks Vic.

Helena eventually heads out with Dinah and Oliver gets a phone message from Bruce about lunch.

* * *

The sublevel pool of the hotel has two separate areas for the men and the women to use like in ways more elaborate than standard locker rooms.

"So this is Oliver Queen's eventual wife?" asks Vesper.

"I'd think the rock and other things should prove that one," answers Dinah.

"Few ever thought he'd marry, but apparently you did change his mind," comments Sasha.

"It would be more common to spark hesitation talk about Bruce Wayne," interjects Helena.

A fifth woman that none of the four had seen previously enters the lasciviously decorated ladies section which is just off the sublevel pool. Vesper and Sasha exit in their bathing suits. Dinah is still in the midst of stretching and Helena is still changing into hers. Dinah wraps up after a few minutes then heads out to join the others after gesturing to Helena.

"So you here on vacation too?" queries Helena.

"In a manner of speaking," answers the woman.

"Never met a cryptic woman before," jests Helena.

"Unless you weren't counting Tautin," remarks the woman.

"You know her?" probes Helena.

"Heard of her, but to the point," responds the woman.

"Yes, the point, and your name," demands Helena.

"He knows you and your boyfriend are here," answers the woman.

"That's only half an answer," hisses Helena.

"I am not allowed to divulge my identity," retorts the woman.

Helena feels slightly dizzy for a moment then the strange woman is gone. She blinks and wonders if the whole encounter even happened, but decides to go swimming instead of worrying about that presently. Helena puts away her change of clothes for later and walks out in her dark purple bathing suit. She spots Mercy Graves doing laps and Maxwell Lord is nowhere to be seen at least for now.

Bruce is having lunch on an upper patio with Oliver, Ted, and speak of the devil Maxwell Lord is joining them. It almost could read like a divide and conquer strategy, but this summit is meant to be a joint cooperative experience except something about the whole thing left her feeling a nagging suspicion.

After less than two hours, Mercy gets out and walks over to where the men are sharing drinks after a rather filling lunch. Nobody pays much mind to Mercy despite the fact that she is wearing only a black bikini. She did appear to be trying to elicit some attention from Lord, but it appears he is not 'in mood' for whatever she is trying to do to him. One could wonder did her submissive attraction switch from Luthor to Lord or did Lord actually give a damn about her where Luthor had taken her on as just another person he could use even though she did develop feelings for him.

Feelings he never did really appear to reciprocate except when he needed her to do things for him that he wouldn't do himself or 'couldn't' do himself. Many could tell she was in her own strange way in love with Luthor couldn't grasp why she would stay with him as he kept treating her like a doormat especially after she was left in charge of the company during his 'absences'. It is well known that his absences getting a chalk up to his criminal activities that happen outside his corporate ventures. It is evident that Luthor had broken her more than once, but had Lord done the same or she is the dominant one in their so-called partnership.

Helena goes back to swimming after briefly watching the scene on the upper patio and how Mercy eventually just leaves the area, probably back to her room, and one could tell today she is not the one with power over Lord.

Vesper however manages to elicit Bruce to join her in the pool.

_Be glad Diana can't see how you are behaving Bruce, but you are own man, you decide who you do these things with even though you know you are in love with one woman when you do all these things with other women.

* * *

_

Helena climbs out of the pool after she starts feeling rather sore so she returns to the ladies section. She takes a quick shower since she is more of the mind to take a longer one with Vic once back upstairs. She leaves the ladies section in her robe and takes the elevator back to her floor, but someone summons it to a particular floor. The doors part and there is Zatanna. Zatanna gets into the elevator.

"I have news Helena," says Zatanna.

"How did you get here so fast?" asks Helena.

"I was planet side so I had Fate drop me off after we finished examining the cell."

"What did you find if anything?"

"A _Homo Magi_ got him out of his rather well kept 'cell'. As for the identity of the jail breaker, we are still working on it, but there are a few we can eliminate such as Shade since we found out he was killed during the in-fighting between the villains around the time of Darkseid's resurrection."

"How many are there in the League?"

"There's myself, Fate, Jason, Hawk and Dove, and B'wana Beast to name a few."

"Whatever telltale signs were left obviously doesn't match any of theirs or yours."

"When examining a scene with magic one needs the same if not greater caution to avoid contaminating or falling victim to magic traps left behind."

"Right, so you said _Jason_, not Etrigan… curious."

"I'll admit I am dating Jason Blood."

"Whatever happened to your crush on you-know-who?"

"You have any idea how many women have tripped themselves up over both personalities."

"Plenty… two of them I have recently met face to face. Vesper Fairchild and Sasha Bordeaux are the two."

"He probably had Sasha come as backup for Ted even though Ted is quite capable of looking after himself, but with all the attempts made to kill certain individuals in the last few months, it makes him not like anyone being too 'exposed'."

There is a bit of an awkward silence before Zatanna changes the subject.

"So how are things with you and Vic these days?"

"I feel we are at our happiest together, but of course we still have recent experiences to bear in mind."

"Right, nobody exactly saw you two hitting it off yet it is always magic when couples come together."

"That's almost corny coming from you… not that I mind the notion of things being magical."

"Well this is your floor right?"

"Right… you want tell Vic what you found?"

"Guess it might sound clearer coming from me… not that you can't explain _Homo Magi_."

Together they enter the room Helena is sharing with Vic.

"Hello Vic," says Zatanna.

"Hello Zatanna," replies Vic.

"I was telling Helena about what was found at the scene," remarks Zatanna.

"I had suspicions that it was magical in origins," interjects Vic.

"Well your hunch is right, but we don't have an exact fix on the identity," responds Zatanna.

"I know at least two that can be taken off the list. Shade was killed last year prior to the fourth Apokolipitian incursion," continues Vic.

"Right, he's listed among the presumed KIA from the fight between Grodd and Luthor."

"We naturally eliminated virtually all the known _Homo Magi_ from the League too."

"So how many are we left to deal with from anywhere else, villain or otherwise?" asks Helena.

"Quite a few," concedes Zatanna.

"There anyway to get Fate here or maybe you could examine something for me?" probes Helena.

"Why?" queries Zatanna.

"I think I had a _Homo Magi_ encounter before I went swimming."

"Better get Fate on the horn then."

A portal appears on the wall awhile later and Dr. Fate floats through before lowering himself to the floor.

"So I am told you had a possible _Homo Magi_ encounter," says Fate.

"I think it might have been because she had come into the room spoke me to, then I felt dizzy and when I tried to figure out where she went, there was no sign she had even been there."

"I would have thought if she intended her presence to go unremembered she might have mind wiped you."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant at all."

"It is not, one would hope we never have to do such a thing."

Fate applies his fingertips to left and right side of Helena's head.

"Try to focus on the memories of the encounter," instructs Fate.

"Do my best."

Fate twitches then steps back.

"What did you see?" asks Zatanna.

"The woman she met had some similar powers to Shade and Karkull, but Shade is dead and Karkull was returned to his ethereal prison years ago after a thief accidentally released him and nearly destroyed Metropolis in the process until Superman convinced me to come out of seclusion to subdue Karkull."

"You sure about that?" queries Zatanna.

"No doubt, the ability to manipulate shadows and teleportation often has a stronger effect on those unfamiliar with its uses. Essentially the woman appears to Helena, says her bit, and vanishes without a physical trace."

"I would ask you to examine the scene, but it is a woman's locker room," reminds Zatanna.

"Inza will take care of it. Not that I don't think you can do it, but both of us have more experience with chaos magic then you do."

"Right… besides I am late for dinner with Jason… mind dropping me off in London."

Fate and Zatanna enter a new portal then Inza arrives a few minutes after speaking with Fate.

"Pardon, but I need Helena to guide me through this hotel, I can sense the chaos magic yet I rarely travel outside the domain of the Tower," concedes Inza.

"Do whatever your work requires, I can wait Inza," acknowledges Vic.

"I see that your Zen training remains almost as sharp as ever."

"Just don't go mentioning that to Lady Shiva," murmurs Vic.

"He knows her?" asks Helena.

"Years ago when I first took up the guise of the Question, we fought almost to the death, she had the upper hand because I never fought anyone of her caliber. She then took me to Richard Dragon and after a time we fought again only for it to cease at a stalemate."

"I met Richard during my own pursuit of marital arts training, but he never did mention you."

"It is unspoken agreement between teacher and student that what happens between them does not go beyond them. Dragon also understood that it was in both our interests to not acknowledge our association."

"Nelson adheres to this type of principle as we had given refuge to Shayera Hol after the Thanagarian Occupation. He had also given refuge in the past to Solomon Grundy before his second death, but of course none could predict how Shayera would bond with him before that turn. It was his accidental resurrection that brought her back into the world and it was only her mace that could end his torment."

Inza exits the room and waits for Helena to join her.

"Well we'll be back soon."

* * *

Vic scans through several layers of encrypted files as he tries to track down something that had given an insight into who Helena had seen and who had broken Mandragora out of where the Justice Department sent him after the trials to indict his former associates. The fact that he had a run in with Lawton towards the end of last year had given a frame of reference plus Harkness was back in jail after that attempt to kill Flash at the opening of the Flash Museum. Separately two known members of Task Force X had come out of the woodwork, but so far no signs of Flagg or Fugate. Souci is listed as MIA, presumed deceased, at least officially, but there a deep buried file about an operative brought in after the Brainthor incident.

A woman named Eve Eden aka Nightshade. Her father is Senator Mitchell Black and her mother is listed as deceased, but the anomalies in her records don't end there.

There is an after thought note that she is not an only child except evidence of a sibling is nonexistent. Nightshade if the file reads right was meant to replace Plastique on Task Force X, but since the Brainthor incident, Cadmus has been under tight scrutiny. The League had a similar level scrutiny, but it had become lesser though there of course remain elements that continue to distrust the League as well as the existence of costumed 'vigilantes'.

* * *

"The residual aura is consistent with the one found in Mandragora's cell," comments Inza

"This means she was the one who got him out of prison, but why?" remarks Helena.

"Somebody sent her, possibly the same individual who sent the criminal assassins."

"Who could possibly want us dead and for what purpose?"

"Maybe a mental probing of an assassin would give some insight, but so far nothing has gotten through to them."

"Deadshot told nothing because he had nothing to tell except he was paid in advance to attempt to kill me, Vic, Atom, and Atom's old girlfriend."

"KGBeast as I heard was poisoned either by himself or by the employer. He was nearly successful, but quick thinking on your part and the part of Nightwing saved them."

"I however ended up gassed by Scarecrow and of course my worst nightmare is not only them dying, but having almost everyone turn us because of those deaths."

"He revealed nothing either, but he was not down there alone."

"Not all of his partners were caught later either. Someone got away, but I don't know who exactly."

"I won't bother saying the obvious to you, but be careful."

"I know, just no way of knowing who will show up next or where they'll make an appearance."

Helena and Inza return to find him at work. Helena smiles as if finding some comfort in him keeping up with his usual patterns. Inza summons a portal and parts company from them.

"You find anything Vic?" asks Helena.

"See for yourself," responds Vic.

"The woman I met several hours ago didn't have dark hair," comments Helena.

"Her natural hair color is blond, but her costume guise lends a different look to her."

"Anything else?" continues Helena.

"Her name is Eve Eden aka Nightshade. She was recruited to replace Plastique on Task Force X, but it never panned out given the events that followed the Brainthor incident."

He relates the rest of Eve's purported biography.

"Her dad is a senator?"

"I doubt that's his real name and that he is her real father."

"So where does that leave us aside from knowing her actual name?"

"Very little except she does know Captain Atom."

"How is that possible?"

"They met during the intervening years between Adams' transformation and Atom joining the League."

"How did you find that out?"

The answer is on his laptop screen, he found a thorough photographic record from Rockefeller that had been hidden away for whatever reasons that Eiling had chosen to classify them. She had not immediately become Nightshade, but when she did well the government was not quite willing to left her leave them either. She would remain on retainer because Atom had grown close to her and they even were suspected to be romantically involved though this is never fully proven. Both eventually find ways to leave Rockefeller behind and from there they went their separate ways. Nightshade had for the most part dropped out of sight after that while Atom eventually found his ways into the sights of Superman and Wonder Woman during the recruiting for the expanding roster.

"The woman I saw was not blonde though, she had jet black hair and almost totally white eyes."

"Her costume guise is in many ways a photo negative of her actual physical appearance, but of course why else use the alias Nightshade?"

"Right, so do we share this with Captain Atom?"

"There is no way of knowing if she'll reappear, but I'll contact him."

* * *

"Hello Bruce," says Helena.

"What do you want?" demands Bruce.

"Can't I just chat with you?" remarks Helena.

"It is enough that you are here and that Vic is here, but it would be best for all of us to not appear so familiar especially as you and he are here under assumed identities."

"Right… well I am sure if Diana or Selina were here next to you instead of me… you wouldn't be so hostile."

"Leave them out of this. What I am doing here with a woman that's not either of them is none of your concern!"

"Whoever said it was?"

"Go bother someone else… this summit is still on for another few days… sooner I can get back to Gotham the better."

"You could have sent Fox in your place you know that don't you?"

"I have a cover to maintain… keep attention away from suspicions about my real night life."

"Sure, who needs convincing about that?"

"I don't have to put up with this… it is bad enough having to pretend like I don't care."

"You are drunk you know that?"

"What makes you an expert on that?"

"I used to get drunk pretty badly myself just so I could forget about all the stuff that made me miserable and you do the same. You wouldn't have to drink for misery if you just went along with how you feel about her, but I can't be the one to kick you in the rear to do that… you are going to have to do that."

"What works for you won't work for me."

"So stubborn… you let her in then you shut her out… its no wonder women get so royally frustrated with you… what are you afraid of? Hurting her? That you could screw up a chance at happiness? Or are you just confused about the one woman who is looking to find the real you… the one that's always hiding except when she's around."

Bruce downs the rest of his drink and exits the bar.

"So much for that… why am I even lecturing him about romance?"

"When hasn't someone given him a shove about that?" comments Sasha.

"So was he down here alone or were you with him?" asks Helena.

"What exactly are you implying?" snorts Sasha.

"It is no secret that more than one woman is in love with Bruce Wayne."

"He's here with Vesper and I am supposed to be masquerading as Ted Kord's assistant."

"So where is Ted?"

"He is dining with Max Lord, Mercy Graves, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, and Bruce."

"Are you supposed to be with him?"

"I am heading that way now if you don't mind."

Sasha gulps down the last of her drink then joins Bruce by the elevator before the two take it to the floor where the others are expecting them.

* * *

There is a prickling sensation in her neck before the room starts to appear darker until she blacks out.

"Take her to the car… be sure he sees you taking her out," says a male voice.

"Understood… shall I tell the others to commence phase two?" asks a female voice.

"I'll take care of it, you handle her," answers the man.

"Yes, I'll get on that now," replies the woman.

"We can't have them interfering in the plan," murmurs the man.

* * *

Vic in a variant of the Question guise takes off after the four removing Helena from hotel in an unmarked car. He palms the keys for one of Bruce's cars and takes in pursuit of the unmarked car. The pursuit leads him out of the city and into the countryside. The roads are almost too dark even for his well attuned night vision. Vic would never admit it fully, but he did prefer night to day.

"No amount of darkness or shadows can hide your passage from me," whispers Question.

There's a prone form bound up and gagged up on the pavement ahead of him.

"Oh sh…," curses Question.

He swerves to dodge though of course this particular model is not as apt to tipping onto two wheels as a Pontiac GTO. The vehicle rolls several times before landing in the right side up position.

"Put him in back with her," orders a female voice.

* * *

"Hello Miss Bertinelli," says Mandragora.

"I heard you were broken out," responds Helena.

"No witty retort, no guffaw comeback," snorts Mandragora.

"I'm no wasting anymore of my life on you," continues Helena.

"Sure you are not, but you and your boyfriend are snooping where you shouldn't be."

"What is it to you?" asks Helena.

"Let's just say my new associates don't appreciate your kind or his interfering in their plans."

"Certainly if you are holding me, he'll be coming for me."

Mandragora flicks on a flat screen viewer behind him.

"We already had him following the car that you were taken in. Then we left you tied up in the road and he had to swerve avoid crushing his woman, and that led to the car flipping over several times before he was knocked out by the repeated tumbles," says Mandragora.

"What did you do to him?" demands Helena.

"He and you are my 'guests' for the evening, maybe longer," chuckles Mandragora.

Mandragora gets up from the reinforced chair, which was remade to hold his weight, not that he is a very heavy man though he is not often joked about beyond his back as being the fat man for nothing.

"You don't have to hold us here… you could let us go," suggests Helena.

"I could have killed you along with your parents that night and I could have killed you on the docks along with your boyfriend, the Cage Bird, and the wannabe Robin Hood… but I didn't so don't tempt me."

"They aren't going to let you walk away from this alive… your new associates that is."

"I have made a history of knowing when to walk away and when to seize the power for myself. They can't expect to control me because I am not to be fiddled with ever again."

"Don't be so sure of yourself."

"Why is that?"

"I already grew up without my parents because my father made the error of believing in your loyalty because virtually anyone else of note was afraid of you and your association to the Bertinelli Family. Don't make Edgar grow up without a father because they could care about as much as you did when you killed my parents."

"Their deaths weren't personal. I saw an opportunity and they were in the way."

"No, you just killed him and her because you wished to stop being his shadow."

"I knew you were in the closet, but you were not a threat to me then nor are you now. I knew you might try to kill me someday, but then your boyfriend confirmed that what I believed about you. You are still that little girl in the closet who hasn't grown the nerve to kill anyone."

"Killing never helped anyone."

"Sounds like something Question would say to you in particular."

"He is right and whatever your part in this … will end with your death."

"Don't be so sure… because I'm not required to let either of you live to see the dawn."

"Who is to say they won't off you either?"

Mandragora leaves her to languish in her 'cell'.

"Let this be a reminder of what you and he condemned me to."

"You are a criminal, what did you expect Question to do?"

"You could have let us flee and vanish into night."

"You could have left my parents alive and struck out on your own."

"Nothing plays out the way you expect it."

"Not that we would expect it to do so… besides anyone who knows about all the deaths that you have caused wouldn't let you walk… whether it was me or another 'criminal'."

"Quite so… but at least it could have been one less without you and him interfering."

"We could talk this out until one of us got tired of bickering back and forth."

Two familiar looking lackeys enter from the door behind Mandragora.

"I bet you remember Cecil and Tony… boys show Miss Bertinelli how much you remember her."

"You mean that's the dame that?"

"You're killing me Cecil. Of course it is her… tall, leggy, jet black hair, and brown eyes."

"Very perceptive Tony… now batter her as much you like then take her with you."

"Where are we going to take her?"

"Tony knows… you Cecil… will be told after she's unconscious again."

Helena looks on in almost horror as Tony punches her straight across the face.

"That's for the gun!"

Cecil is not a violent man by nature, he is just a driver, but of course Tony was always the harder of the two of them. Tony punches her again except in the stomach region.

"For the gut kick!"

Helena winces in pain. Tony kicks back the chair she is bound and landing against the floor is a skull screaming pain in of itself. She is untied from the chair then bound up again before being taken out to the car.

* * *

"Hello Mr. Sage… oh I do know how you prefer Question. I however don't give a damn about Shiva's respect for you or Dragon's unspoken pride for your stoicism. I'm aware that Moon was never able to break you, you had the mental will, but if he had you longer than he did… I am willing to bet he could have done it."

"I was wondering if Intergang had any stake in this and your appearance confirms that Whisper."

"I would expect you to be able to identify any of us. You are famous for being such a meticulous stickler for names, faces, and the like."

"Flattery doesn't work on me A'Daire."

"Who said I was and besides as long as you are no one can stop us or save her."

"What have you done with Helena?"

"Struck something I have… usually when you are looking like that you never call anyone by their real name if they are a costume… so the rumors are true… the conspiracy theorist does have a heart."

"Tell me what's Ra's Al-Ghul's Intergang infiltrator doing mixed up with the Illuminati?"

"Who says I really work for Intergang or the Society?"

"So you are Illuminati then?"

"We don't go around telling who is and isn't one of us besides someone has to keep an eye on Lord. The man is a menace, but public and political opinion is against me on that count."

"So what is he doing anyway?"

"Let's just say Eiling wasn't the only one dissatisfied with what happen to Cadmus."

"So he's looking to continue what Cadmus almost did?"

"Much worse than that so now you are wondering why I am holding you here or what is happening to Bertinelli."

"The question has been in mind for awhile."

"Further Lord learned quite a few psychological tricks from the absent Lex Luthor. How to use people, organizations, and companies to do the 'dirty' work is the only starter."

"He's 'randomly' having criminals target us in the hopes that he can whittle our numbers so that we'll strike against him even he'll appear to be innocent of any wrong doing… we won't be able to find proof because his chosen assassins will have never met him face to face."

"Quite so… he realizes he failed to eliminate Queen and Lance earlier this year. He doesn't know that you were present on the occasion as he believed Question to be dead since the destruction of your original Pontiac however he knows Helena to be alive as she was seen driving your Pontiac's replacement after the shootings."

A man enters with something to tell Whisper.

"What? He didn't have authorization to do that!"

"Something not going according to plan I take it," queries Question.

"Indeed, Mandragora's goons have taken her away."

"Where?" demands Question.

"Luckily we put hidden tracking devices in all our cars, the only problem would be if they took it through an area with magnetic interference… there is a place nearby… one of the shipyards."

"Untie me now!" yells Question.

"Let him go Kyle… this wasn't part of the plan."

"As you command… what should I do about Mandragora?"

"He violated the agreement… we need to eliminate him."

"I didn't think anybody would venture killing him."

"I understood your compulsion to make her hesitate to kill… it wouldn't help her… only giving her cause to live again… to love you did that for her."

"Then you'll understand why I have to save her."

He whips out the aerosol and sprays himself to loosen the mask.

"You are taking a risk letting me see your face."

"You already know my face Whisper if you have seen the files."

* * *

Vic races away from the warehouse where Intergang had been taken him and Helena. He didn't like leaving Mandragora's fate in the hands of Intergang or the Illuminati, but he had to save her. Mandragora likely thought Intergang had broken him out yet he did appear to question why they had done it or the Illuminati's connection to the breakout. The distance to the shipyards is shrinking as he tries to push the car harder, but again nothing is quite the right fit for him. He prefers to be doing this in a Pontiac, but he would work with what he had because there is nothing else on hand. As he nears the wharf, he can see them dropping her bound and gagged into the water.

_It'll take too long to get out and run… can't believe I'm doing this. The things we do for love. The things for which we would glad lay down our lives to save another life more precious to us than our own._

He floors it across the wharf towards Cecil and Tony who both dive out of the way after seeing him speeding towards them. He slams the brakes bringing the car to a stop before reaching the last part of the wharf. He slaps the seat belt clip then pushes out the door and jumps into the water himself. It is the clearest water he had ever been in unlike the time Shiva sent him through Hub City's once overly polluted sewers. As he dives, he is aware that each downward kick means another going back up once he finds her. He had to find her, she felt like she failed last time he got hurt, he felt like that was his fault that she blamed herself, but he had done it out of fear of losing her, he did it because some part of him always felt like she was the stronger of the two of them.

_Not letting you die, no way in hell, because that's what life would turn into being haunted by memory ghosts of everything we have had together, didn't try to do all I did all the time we have been together just for your childhood tormentor to off you like this._

Helena's prone form is unmoving and sinking like a stone. He finally manages to close the distance. He rips away the gag, and locks his mouth of hers. He puts his arms under hers and starts kicking back towards the surface even though it is a slower rate than he could hope as he is pulling the drenched weight of both of them. It is getting harder to stay conscious as the amount of oxygen between them is decreasing. He feels two hands gripping his wrists and then everything goes black.

* * *

He wakes up coughing up water from the inlet and sees Helena nearby all bundled up. She weakly smiles at him and so he tries to move even though his legs aren't quite responsive due to him still regaining oxygen intake. He sees an unexpected pair had come to aid them.

"You saved our hides a couple of times already, thought we would return the favor," says Betty.

"Thanks, I didn't expect to see you two outside the Tower after Deadshot had come after you," replies Helena

"I might have thought him attractive once, but the man has two types of conquest in mind. One involves precise kills and the other doesn't require a fully drawn out explanation."

"Indeed, I gave him broken wrists as a parting reminder."

"When we heard about Mandragora getting broken out of custody again, we thought it might be best to shadow you, but of course traveling around with Captain Atom makes it tricky to maintain cover."

Atom steps into the light.

"My solution was to have her wear an earpiece comlink at all times so that way I could immediately beam to her location after arranging for her to have a room at the same hotel the eight of you were staying at for the summit," explains Atom.

"Clever, I wouldn't expect Batman to know about it."

"Actually it was a combination idea from Superman and Wonder Woman. She was especially worried about everyone's safety. Plus Superman was mighty suspicious of Miss Graves and Mr. Lord."

"Rightfully so as Maxwell Lord is perhaps the mastermind behind a conspiracy to systematically eliminate us for some unknown purpose."

"Didn't Luthor already try and fail to do that?" comments Betty.

"Not exactly, he wanted to engineer a war between the Earth governments and the Justice League. Lord appears to be gaming to just eliminate us, if he is indeed the architect of this active attempt to kill us."

"You sound sure, but not totally sure."

A government car pulls up near the wharf and Tautin steps out.

"We have got a new problem people," says Tautin.

"What has happen now?" hisses Helena.

"Bruce Wayne and Sasha Bordeaux are wanted murder."

"When did this happen?" quips Vic.

"Ted Kord and Vesper Fairchild were last seen alive just prior to an informal dinner that Wayne and Bordeaux were attending along with Maxwell Lord, Mercy Graves, Oliver Queen, and Dinah Lance."

"Of the six, only four were accounted for since our initial search of the hotel. We found the bodies of Kord and Fairchild. Lord and Graves were together in their suite. In bed I might add, but that's just one of those recoil surprise turns for some of us."

Betty, Atom, Vic and Helena get into Tautin's car.

"Has the COD of their deaths been determined?" asks Vic.

"Kord was strangled with his own tie and Fairchild was fatally stabbed," responds Tautin.

"Why are you certain about the killers' identities?" quips Helena.

"There aren't cameras in the suites, but they are in every corridor so there's no way they could slip around without being seen unless they used balconies, but those are rare."

"You have Wayne and Bordeaux seen leaving the room where you found the bodies."

"Yes, I'll show you the footage once we are there. Plus I already have an expert attempting to determine if the footage has been altered."

Atom remains in the car with Souci and then they call for a beam up to the Watchtower since they will have to brief the Founders on this development even though it appears that Bruce and Sasha may have been framed for the crime. The camera footage however could prove visually that they might be responsible for the crime.

* * *

_Ted Kord exits the elevator with a slightly drunk Vesper Fairchild leaning against him. Bruce Wayne and Sasha Bordeaux exit behind them. The four enter a suite down the corridor._

"The register indicates that is Wayne's suite," says Detective Reynard.

The technician switches to another camera's video footage.

_Kord helps Fairchild into the room. There are no sounds from the room and the walls are not nearly thick enough to hide a gunshot except there are none to be heard at all._

"Skip ahead to when they left the room," says Reynard.

_Wayne and Bordeaux exit then board the elevator before getting off again except now they are heading for the suite Kord is sharing with Bordeaux._

"Has anyone been searching Kord's room yet?" suggests Vic.

"We did, they weren't in there nor were they seen leaving it."

"Something is very wrong here, switch to the reverse angle as they get towards Wayne's suite."

The camera angle switch is done.

"Give me a close-up on Wayne's face if you can."

The technician does as told, but even then its not quite close enough.

"This maybe one of the more exclusive hotels here, but our security measures aren't quite as up to date as you may think," says the technician.

Reynard and Tautin exit the security room.

Vic sits down and asks if he can comb through the security records for the entire day.

"You think you might find anomalies somewhere in all this?" whispers Helena.

"I have to otherwise Wayne and Bordeaux will be in more trouble than even they know."

"Why did you ask for a close up on Bruce's face?"

"Because the haircut is wrong and the eyebrows don't look straight enough."

"You think somebody is impersonating him."

"I think somebody has been impersonating him for awhile."

"You think Vesper wouldn't have noticed?"

"She doesn't see him often enough to notice subtleties and the same goes for Kord as he has never dealt with Bordeaux."

Helena looks at Vic's attempt to enlarge and enhance the face.

"This impostor tries to hide it, but his face was surgically altered less than six months ago."

"The same goes for her I would guess too."

"Quite right… the real Bruce Wayne and Sasha Bordeaux never came on this trip though we have no way to prove it aside from my surgical scar theory… should have been more obvious… but we saw so little of him since the holidays."

Oliver and Dinah enter in a hurry.

"Where the heck have you two been?" asks Dinah.

Helena turns to face them and then Dinah steps back covering her mouth.

"Who did that to you?" whispers Dinah.

"Mandragora's old standbys Cecil and Tony," mumbles Helena.

"He'll be on the run with Intergang, Interpol, and quite a few other high profile or discrete organizations pursuing him… we have a further wrinkle aside from our latest run in with Mandragora.'

"Before or after Wayne and Bordeaux apparently committed murder as that Detective Reynard is implying presently."

"I think somebody replaced Wayne and Bordeaux."

"You know how meticulous Wayne is about maintaining a photogenic image for the press well this haircut is inconsistent with that, but it is a reasonable facsimile. Somebody rather good at plastic surgery altered someone around Wayne's height and build to look like Wayne. The same goes for Bordeaux yet they have been trying to disguise the alterations with creams of some kind."

"Where did this flash of insight come from if you hadn't noticed it before?"

"We saw so little of him during transit and we all might have passed any faint scars off as marks of the trade, but these are too precise to be the result of street fighting in Gotham."

"You really think Reynard will buy that?"

Reynard enters again with Tautin.

"We haven't found them yet except the ticket office at the train station cameras show them boarding a train bound for Italy," says Tautin.

"We sent notices ahead to the locals to search for them and detain if they are found."

"I think we are going about this all wrong," says Vic.

"What makes you say… according to the guest list you two are assistants for Mr. Queen and Ms. Lance here," replies Reynard.

"That's not quite the whole story, but I would ask your camera experts to examine the faces in the footage… search for signs of surgical scars."

"It is clear from the faces we have seen that Wayne and Bordeaux are the culprits. I'll have the camera people check the tapes, but we are still detaining the visually proven suspects."

Reynard leaves alone.

* * *

"He sounds reluctant to believe that someone was impersonating them," remarks Helena.

"I have to play along even though my role here is a ruse," says Tautin.

"Get word to King about Mandragora about these developments."

"Already on it, however I doubt the four of you can go looking for Wayne until the local police are done questioning you as well as Mr. Lord and Ms. Graves."

"I'd keep a sharper on eye on them too."

Tautin exits while making an international call to her American counterpart Faraday.

"Once the inquiries are done… we have to get to Italy before the trail on these imposters goes cold."

"If Lord sent surgically altered infiltrators just to kill Kord, then why eliminate Fairchild?"

"She's collateral against Wayne… see if Wayne gets imprisoned for her death then eventually Batman would be exposed… then he moves onto the next… provided he's the mastermind behind these killings and attempted killings."

"What if Wayne and Bordeaux really did this?"

"Does Bruce Wayne strike you as a man who would kill?"

"We can all kill, the questions are why and what… something of an answer is in these tapes."

"So who could analyze them without contacting the Batclan on this one?"

"Send to them to the Metro Tower or the Watchtower."

"You want Terrific to analyze the tapes?"

"He's capable… unless you have someone else in mind."

"I'll contact him… we need to square this away in order to prove Wayne and Bordeaux are innocent because this just doesn't ring right with any of us I am sure."

_The only questions left are where are the real Bruce Wayne and Sasha Bordeaux as well as how long do we have to find them plus still capture the pair masquerading as them?_

There's a dark ripple in the room before another joins them.

"Hello my name is Nightshade..."

* * *

A/N 1: Enter Eve Eden aka Nightshade, primary suspect for Mandragora's breakout, but is it really her and why would she do it? I couldn't find her presumed father's name. Here he is Lawrence Schneider, a nod to Laurence Schexnayder, Sally Jupiter's manager & husband in **Watchmen**. Similar to what happens to Laurel 'Laurie' Juspeczyk aka Silk Spectre II as her personal history is modeled somewhat after Nightshade.

A/N 2: Its implied that there's sexual tension between Max Lord and Mercy Graves of course the idea here is that she's kind of habitual with men, not that I view her as weak, she just seems to allow men to dominate her too easily at times, but I could be wrong.

A/N 3: Mandragora's reappearance is somewhat abrupt and well what they do to Helena was affected by reading parts of _**Cry For Blood**_, a comics miniseries that features Huntress and Question. Naturally Vic is there to pull her out of the water. As for what happens to Mandragora, well he is on the run again, but from more than just the law.

A/N 4: Essentially the Illuminati are everywhere even in Intergang as its implied that Whisper A'Daire is one of theirs at least in this story. It also appears that there's a toss up about who really killed Ted and Vesper, but Vic is convinced someone was impersonating who Reynard is convinced killed them.

A/N 5: As for Vic suspects to be the impostors well that's a bit of "devil in the details".


	23. Mirrors

Oliver and Dinah attempt to trace the impostors' trail into Italy while Vic and Helena return to Gotham as Vic apparently is having one of his tangent moments again. There are GCPD patrols active in the city as apparently nobody has seen much of Nightwing or Robin lately yet no criminal elements appear to be taking active notice. This however accounts for the fact that several Gotham Rogues have been back in Arkham for several weeks now yet nobody is utilizing Batman's absence to do anything. The criminal dead zone is suspicious even to Helena now back as Huntress.

"This is unreal, just the seemingly ordinary criminals are making trouble but the police can handle that on their own. The only real trouble we would get is if someone like Joker or Two-Face were on the loose again," comments Huntress.

"Joker is in Arkham and Two-Face last I heard is still suffering from a further personality split, which dates back to his last arrest. The whole business of the Judge going much further than Batman would, but then nobody really saw that one coming," remarks Question.

"You really think we are going to find any evidence of who replaced Bruce and Sasha here in Gotham? Even if we do, then who could be responsible even if they were hired by Lord?"

"Who indeed… but first we need to talk to Pennyworth. He would have noticed changes unless they have somebody impersonating him too."

* * *

The big oak door opens before he can even knock and there to meet them is Tim Drake.

"Well look who's here now Dick," jests Tim.

"Lay off, we know Bruce wouldn't kill anyone, at least we hope not," grunts Dick.

"I'll see if Barbara needs anything, she certainly seems to be rather happy to see you most of the time, but you two did date in the past before all that breaking of the team stuff," comments Tim.

"Just get going already," says Dick.

Question and Huntress follow Dick towards the grandfather clock after they are inside with the front door once again shut.

"So I guess it is in the news now?" murmurs Huntress.

"The biggest story of the day, playboy billionaire murders corporate rival or some other such nonsense."

"Why are you so sure that Bruce didn't do it?" asks Question.

"I lived under this roof for almost half my life and I was Batman's partner for years so if I am not an authority on his tendencies… I don't know who is… as for Alfred he just keeps cleaning in order to keep himself busy I think."

"Alfred is a creature of habit like anyone else though I doubt he believes the boy that became Bruce Wayne and Batman is a murderer. I have cause to suspect that someone was surgically altered to look like Bruce and Sasha then replace them at some point before the arrival in Montenegro."

Question inserts a disc that he used to copy the video files of the night of the murders.

"If there is anyone who is techno-savvy I would recommend they try a cross comparison of the Wayne impostor against all known criminal files or individuals who have this level of surgical skill."

Barbara can be heard at the entrance to the stairwell to the Batcave.

"Guess we better help her down. She's still on crutches as for why she is keeping so on her feet even I don't know why, but in her shape I'd be really annoyed about not being able to do much when someone important to us is missing as well as wanted for a crime we believe he didn't commit."

Dick heads back up to get Barbara. Question remains at the computer so Huntress opts to help Dick carry her down.

"I heard you two were here, but this is the first time in awhile that I have seen you walking around as Huntress," chuckles Barbara.

"How's the back Barbara?" asks Huntress.

"It is better, but still sore and hopefully I can walk on my own before spring kicks in," replies Barbara.

There is a kind of ethereal beauty to the Batcave if one looks pass the rock formations, the stalagmites, the stalactites, the cold, the dampness, and the cave's bat population. However bats were part of the charm and the fear of the cave's discoverer Bruce Wayne too. It felt odd for some of them to be down here without him. However Bruce is missing and so someone would have to fill in for Batman in order to put fear back into the criminals. The only upset there is who to send in his place and who could convince the criminals that the individual fighting them is Batman.

Sooner or later the super villains would get the hint that they should start going out again yet the reprieve from them seems too coincidental to being a coincidence to many including Question.

"So when was the last time you saw Bruce or Batman before we and the impostors went to Europe?"

"The last time I saw him face to face was when we all went after Scarecrow because he had Huntress under the sway of the new more potent form of fear gas."

Tim had tried to come down into the cave without being noticed, but of course Dick had been Robin before Tim so it made no sense trying to sneak down yet occasionally there is cause for a challenge.

"What about you Tim?" asks Barbara.

"Whoever I dealt with before the trip was pretty convincing, maybe he got switched before getting on the jet, but whatever the case is I saw him just before he went early because of the whole six hours early for international flights," replies Tim.

"True enough, Alfred would have driven him to the airport, so either it happened before he left for the airport or before he got the jet," remarks Dick.

"Maybe someone should check Alfred over because maybe something was done to his memory that he doesn't know about," suggests Barbara.

"He might be more receptive to Zatanna checking him rather than anyone else," comments Tim.

"She's skilled, but not to Fate's magic ability or J'onn's level of telepathy," interjects Question.

"I'll talk to him," offers Dick.

Dick goes back upstairs with Tim and Question decides to search the upstairs room for any signs of if someone had actually taken his place after the most recent encounter with Scarecrow.

* * *

"So how much service is Dick doing for you?" asks Huntress.

"Beck and call would be the short version," answers Barbara.

"Wrapped around your finger would be another way to put it," chuckles Huntress.

"Yeah, I never thought I would find myself this close to him again. Things got rather sour between us after we both got a dose of how much we were deceiving each other before Dick quit Robin. I admit feeling some jealousy about the time he spent with Catwoman during that business with El Gancho."

Barbara turns her attention back to security videos that Question had brought back from Montenegro.

"Computer, zoom in and enhance what looks like Bruce Wayne's face then run cross comparison against all recent photographs of Bruce Wayne."

"_**Image cross comparison running."**_

The image runs through all available photographs of Wayne from the past twelve months.

"You are looking for visual anomalies?"

"That's the idea and there are only so many people who are almost that gifted at plastic surgery."

"You wouldn't think it could be Tommy Elliot would you?"

"Can't eliminate any possibility… that one would be almost too obvious, which might be a factor."

"Elliot might just be another villain in the gallery, but he's the only one who could maintain the temperament sufficient to make the deception work, if it is him doing this in the first place."

"_**Comparison checks complete. Individual from visual recording is a probability match of 96%."**_

"What accounts for the lack of a full match?"

"_**Visual anomalies include signs of surgical scarring and hair color is a relative match."**_

"Question already saw all this without asking a computer."

Question's eyes as Huntress well knew had advantages beyond his work. The first time she had seen them, really seen them, she felt herself almost at a loss for words at least until he made a reminder about her calling him the ugliest guy of all time. She had to disagree with herself yet again and she did that quite frequently when it had to do with the man she loves without restraint.

Barbara figuring they aren't getting far with the Wayne imposter instead turns to the Bordeaux impostor.

"Computer, switch to the face of the woman that looks Sasha Bordeaux. Run cross comparison against personnel files from Wayne Enterprises and Kord Industries. Additionally search through all available images of her prior to this year."

"_**Image cross comparison running." **_

Huntress is grinning rather broadly.

"Happy memory?" asks Barbara.

"Yes you could say that," answers Huntress.

"Anything in particular?" queries Barbara.

"His eyes… I mean Vic's eyes," continues Huntress.

"Weakness for eyes eh?" sighs Barbara.

"I bet you are too Barb," jests Huntress.

"When you get stared at in certain yes, but hairstyle is also nice."

"What about costumes?" chuckles Huntress.

"Don't even get me started on that one."

The computer runs through all the photographs of Sasha.

"_**Comparison checks complete. Individual from visual record is a probability match of 97%."**_

"Identify visual anomalies."

"_**Anomalies include surgical scars, curvature alteration, and signs that hair color is not its natural coloration."**_

"Run a cross comparison of both anomalous individuals against all known super villains currently not in custody."

"_**Cross comparison will take several hours to complete."**_

"Understood, run the request immediately."

"_**Cross comparison sweep underway."**_

Huntress shoulders Barbara back towards the other on foot entry/exit. They will be taking the elevator back to the ground floor, which would bring them out into the den instead of the room where the grandfather clock stands in place.

"So at this point we have at least one culprit though that in itself is a hypothetical aside from the factors that make him a likely candidate."

"I don't know how anyone could hope to pull off a convincing Bruce Wayne, but the fact is that he was with Oliver and Oliver couldn't tell yet the only thing I can say for whomever he is that he fooled me too. I had not however pictured Bruce as someone likely to drink that much."

"He has put himself through quite a headache and heartache with Diana because eventually she'll give up. Many women do love Bruce Wayne, but Bruce Wayne loves without allowing the love to flourish as it could…as it should."

"This business we are in is too emotionally trying to weather alone even though some of us believe at times that we should, but underneath it all… we are still only human."

* * *

"_Commissioner Gordon is concerned that prolonged absence of Batman will eventually bait the Rogues into taking use of the absence to their own ends,"_ says Montoya.

"Right well Dad doesn't have to worry… Nightwing and Robin can handle things," replies Barbara.

"_I know how much you want to keep these things in the Family, but somebody has to pretend to be Batman for awhile,"_ continues Montoya.

"Who do you suggest to impersonate him? They would see right through it," comments Barbara.

"_Who the heck took his place that one time a couple years back?"_ asks Montoya.

"That was Superman. He and Batman are relatively the same build, but I doubt he would want to risk Metropolis for Gotham. Somebody else might have to step up," concludes Barbara.

Barbara is looking at Dick as she says this. Dick does his own version of a Bat-esque glare upon noticing her looking at him. The phone call ends soon after.

"You can't be serious asking me of all people to impersonate Batman," grumbles Dick.

"I don't know who else to ask even if we did run this by Superman I doubt he has the time."

"Let's just hope I can be convincing because the last thing I need is someone going that's not Batman."

"You'll do fine once you shake off this whole I can't be Batman notion."

"Wish I had your confidence."

"Just get ready… it is only temporary."

There is a rain storm starting outside. A rumble follows meaning it is a lightning storm on top of the rain.

"It is a dark and stormy…" chuckles Tim.

"Oh, cut it out, that's not that funny…" retorts Dick.

"He's got the lack of ridiculous humor down," snorts Tim.

"Suit up Tim," orders Dick.

"Right away _Batman_," chuckles Tim.

* * *

Dick in the Batsuit steps out into the lit area on the Batmobile turntable.

"It is a loose fit, but at least maybe I look tall enough," remarks Dick.

"Better work on your Bat voice," comments Tim.

"Best switch to your Bird voice," snips Dick.

"Sure I make a joke a minute and you get grumpy," huffs Tim.

"It is alright Tim. Just dressing like this makes uneasy, I am used to looking at this cowl from the other side. It is like looking at him through a mirror except it is me wearing this cowl."

"So any chance of Batgirl joining us?" suggests Robin.

"Not tonight Robin… tonight you can call me Oracle," says Barbara.

"Catchy," remarks Dick.

"Better not talk like that in front of my dad."

"Right," continues 'Batman'.

"Kind of sounds like him, keep working on it, like Superman told me when he did it, precision muscle control," says Robin.

"Bet he did Batman and you then you were quick to tell him to cut it out," remarks Batman.

Robin hops into the Batmobile then 'Batman' jumps into the driver's seat.

"In case you were wondering if I had anyone in mind to stand in for me, I'll have her meet you."

"Don't tell me you called her in for this one," groans 'Batman'.

"Who are you talking about?" queries Robin.

"You'll see soon enough Boy Wonder," replies 'Oracle'.

"You could have let us taken care of this alone," rebukes 'Batman'.

"Just get going… the sooner we figure out what is going on the sooner we get back to what we see as our usual roles," sighs 'Oracle'.

The Batmobile zips off into the tunnel that connects the Batcave to the gantry, which leads to the back road to the Batcave.

"Just out of curiosity 'Oracle' who did you have step into your look?" asks Huntress.

"Cassandra Cain," admits 'Oracle'.

"You do realize the attention you'll draw with her don't you?" interjects Question.

"I am aware that a number of individuals or factions will latch on to this appearance."

"She hardly resembles you in costume."

"Dick and I already had talked about this. She is noticeably younger than me, but we did take a few steps to disguise her within the costume. Her hair will look red like mine and the near invisible lenses in the cowl will make her eyes look like mine."

"Sounds like you thought of the details beforehand."

"We kept it between us in order to limit how many know that she is temporarily stepping in for me."

The elevator opens to reveal Diana entering the Batcave.

"Well this is unexpected," murmurs Barbara.

"Nice to see you on the mend Barbara yet I haven't seen Dick or Tim," says Diana.

"Commissioner Gordon believes it necessary for a Batman appearance in order to dispel any plans in motions to take advantage of Batman's absence so Dick went out as Batman with Tim as usual as Robin."

"It appears you aren't up to taking into the night as Batgirl, so who did you send in your place?"

"You don't miss much do you?"

"No, I only saw Nightwing's costume still hung up, so you don't think they would want to see Nightwing too?"

The elevator doors part a second time.

"Good to see you Roy," calls Barbara.

"Different hairstyle," comments Question.

"You better be sure that I only have to do this temporarily. Sure Dick is my friend, but I have my own costumed alter-ego to maintain too."

Roy takes the Nightwing costume and goes into another part of the cave to change as Dick had done earlier when donning the Batman look.

"Sure the look may suit him, but me I don't do black though I guess I'll have to make an exception to take part in this deception for the criminals of Gotham. Now where's that bike?"

Roy climbs onto the cycle and takes off up the ramp then into the tunnel.

"I wouldn't have believed, but from behind he does look like Nightwing. I don't mean just the costume or the hair. The attitude is a fair approximation," comments Diana.

"Guess we should join the party," jests Huntress.

"That's why Diana is here," continues Question.

"Batman… _Bruce_… is missing and you want me to stay here with Barbara?" hisses Diana.

"Somebody has to watch the Manor besides Barbara and Alfred," remarks Question.

"It is best not to show anything contrary to Batman's style of handling Gotham that includes you."

"I get it, but you can't expect this smoke and mirrors thing to fool them indefinitely."

* * *

Huntress peers across the roof in the darkness with her binoculars. She had gotten a very sophisticated replacement for her old one. The new one has zoom settings, which made it a simpler thing to look at things from a few rooftops away. 'Batman' and Robin are meeting with Gordon to discuss the crime situation. 'Batgirl' is keeping tabs from the roof across the way from GCPD Central and so far no signs of super villains, which could mean that they were overestimating whether or not any loose villains would try anything now. Someone lands behind her just after the sound of a whip wrapping around the base of the water tower near the far side of the roof.

Huntress spins around aiming her crossbow at the newcomer.

"Show yourself Catwoman!" shouts Huntress.

"You really do spoil an entrance Huntress," snips Catwoman.

Catwoman lands heels first on the roof then recoils her whip before clipping it to her waist.

"He really thinks he is fooling anyone dressing like that does he?" cracks Catwoman.

"Not even he expects it to fool anyone, but with the real deal missing, somebody had to step up."

"I also know that is not Batgirl over there either. She looks the part, but the real deal in her case is not that ridge in her posture while keeping an eye out."

"Did you come here for something purposeful or just to play games?"

"Barbara's attempt to make it look like all is well isn't going to keep everyone duped for long."

Huntress had already known Question is up here with them, but she wouldn't give him away.

"That's somewhat rhetorical as a statement."

"He is up here with you?"

"You sound surprised for someone who relies on stealth quite frequently."

"I didn't come here with the intention of being arrested again."

"Nobody said anything about an arrest. I only am asking if you recognize these two."

Catwoman looks at photographs of the impostors.

"He makes a passable Bruce and she looks like she had her bra size upped for the occasion."

"You have anything besides obvious commentary to share Kyle?"

"Nobody has seen Tommy Elliot in months and he is a reputable surgeon especially in the field of plastic surgery. It is possible that he altered these two look like Bruce and Sasha. Heck he might even be the one impersonating Bruce."

"I thought he might be given his disdain for Wayne yet I am still uncertain about her."

Catwoman does several back flips before somersaulting to the next roof.

* * *

"I think we should have held her for information."

"She only vaguely confirms my suspicion about the one impersonating Wayne."

"What about the woman?"

"I trust in 'Oracle' to have a name for that soon."

Their earpiece comlinks chirp a few second later.

"_I have a rundown of unaccounted for former associates of Grodd and Luthor."_

"So who is on the list?"

"_The men include Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Doctor Destiny, Evil Star, Heatwave, and Sinestro. This is the short list as the rest have unknown written in their files."_

"What of the women?"

"_They include Cheetah, Giganta, Killer Frost, Tsukuri, Star Sapphire, and Volcana. However like with the men, the information is incomplete."_

"None of the men fit the body type and none have anything against the costumes present at the Summit as far we know. As for the women, Cheetah has history with Batman going back to his capture by the Injustice Gang and Joker."

"_I ran composite analysis between Cheetah's human appearance and Sasha. It appears that she would fit the bill to physically impersonate Sasha, the only catch is did she and why would she?"_

"She claimed in the past that her criminality is based on the drive to restore her human appearance after risking everything on her research and work. How many are going to use that spin?"

"_Freeze did plenty of questionable things, but in the end he did save Nora at the cost of his own humanity and body. As for Clayface, nobody ever thought he would kill, but he finally had as we all know."_

"So if we believe that Thomas Elliot and Barbara Ann Minerva are our suspects then where are they now?"

"_No crimes have been committed by Cheetah in more than six months. As for Hush, the same goes for him. A void of that scope is certainly worth checking out, but where to look?"_

"That is the question."

Huntress and Question trade looks after he says that particular twist.

"I still find that turn of a phrase to be funny," giggles Huntress.

"That's good to hear… so let's see what the others across the way are up to," remarks Question.

'Batman' and Robin are taking off back to the Batmobile.

"_I am transmitting the suspect list to the Batmobile's on-board computer."_

'Batgirl' and 'Nightwing' are heading off presumably in the direction of Bludhaven.

* * *

Question and Huntress drop down to where the Batmobile is the alleyway across the street. The retractable hood opens up.

"So where do we begin our search for these two if they really are the ones we should be tailing?"

"It really isn't tailing, more like looking for where they had been holed if they were in Gotham."

"Either of you know about the place where Thomas Blake ran his cult?"

Someone else lands in the alleyway.

"If you are going to stalk out Blake's former compound then I better tag along," interjects Catwoman.

The four all trade looks as if trying to decide whether to let in on this situation.

"She knows the grounds, so I say let her tag along," says 'Batman'.

"Right, the last few times anyone 'trusted' her she wasn't playing straight," comments Robin.

"Valid, but we will have to put personal feelings aside for this," remarks Question.

"So who is going with her?" comments Huntress.

"You will go with her Huntress and 'Batman' will go too," recommends Question.

"I'd think I would best be going with you and Robin," rebukes 'Batman'.

"Like I already said personal baggage gets tossed now," retorts Question.

"Whatever you say _Vic_," replies 'Batman'.

Question glares from behind the mask except even he cannot give into the nudge to snap at 'Batman' or rather at Dick in the Batsuit. Robin follows Question to the Pontiac and there waiting for them is Zatanna and Jason.

"So what brings you two to Gotham?" asks Question.

"We thought you could use more bodies on the search," answers Zatanna.

"Has Nightshade said anything further about why we found her magic 'footprint' even though it was not her as we initially thought?" queries Question.

"She said her twin brother's 'footprint' has an almost identical signature to hers, but she has not seen him in years, not since their mother died," responds Jason.

"One of you go to the Manor examine it for signs of magical intrusion or presence… perhaps you are better suited to that Blood," suggests Question.

"If you think so Sage, be careful out there, despite how redundant that sounds, but we still don't know entirely who or what we are dealing with aside from the mounting suspicions."

"Understood, so let's solve this mystery shall we?"

Robin decides to go with Jason back to the Manor.

"You would think he would want to be out here looking for someway to find Bruce, but he looks after Barbara like she's his big sister. Hate to imagine what would happen to Barbara if something happen to him, to Dick, or even Bruce," comments Zatanna.

"Pray we never have to find out," murmurs Question.

* * *

It is somewhat lengthy drive to the old Elliot Estate, but once there it is practically like looking at an inversion of Wayne Manor in every sense of the word. Question parks the car quite far away after insisting that Zatanna get them the rest of the way only for them to be joined by Wonder Woman who choose to leave Barbara under the watchful eyes of Tim, Alfred, and Jason.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't be out here," reminds Question.

"If it were Huntress' life at stake again would you let someone else look for her without you?"

"No I wouldn't. No use in arguing a counterpoint to this, keep moving," remarks Question.

Question hops over the wall before Wonder Woman carries Zatanna over.

"You went straight to the heart on him, wouldn't expect you to do that, but Batman is missing after all."

"Not like I want to pull that one on him, not after the number of times that his or her life was at stake in the last three going on four months… so where is she and Dick?"

"They are checking out another lead at the former compound of Thomas Blake's cult."

"Tim did mention that yet he did hesitate about something else… wouldn't say it to me."

"Catwoman was hanging around after the meeting with the Commissioner or so I could gather."

"How did you gather that one?"

"Vic's usual indifference is not what it used to be. It is not that it isn't convincing anymore, sometimes it is better than others, sometimes it is not there."

"You almost make it sound like he has lost something."

"In a way he has, in another way he has already become more than he once was, but like others he has yet to fully come to grips with the experiences fully if ever. There are those who can seem to put it behind like it is all said and done while others have it with them for the rest of their lives."

Question is already through the front door by the time Wonder Woman and Zatanna catch up to him. The interior is full of furniture with drop cloths all over. It appears like nobody has been home in awhile yet there is an eerie sense that they are not alone here. The front door latches shut, then almost impenetrable shutters come down over the windows, and the lights go out before cutting back in on dim. Wonder Woman tries to force the door except it shocks her in a way similar to other devices had done in frequently in the past so instead she turns to the window shutters yet no luck there either. The shutters could almost feel like her futile attempts to slug Mongul if she thought to offer an example.

"Wonder Woman to Metro Tower," says Wonder Woman.

She stomps on the floor and it too appears to have gotten reinforcement.

"No response from any attempts to comlink call, probably comlink shielded, we have to find a way out of here," continues Wonder Woman.

"I suggest we locate Question as he had come in here ahead of us," recommends Zatanna.

The television on the far wall crackles to life.

"_**Hello I trust my look is a common fix to all the locals yet for those who it might not be. I am sure someone can fill you in. You have no doubt found there is no way out of here, at least not conventionally by door, window, or any point of access. The further warning is that if you can't find your way out by dawn, well then you will discover that the only way out is not out."**_

The television switches off.

"Some kind of a riddle," comments Question.

"So the Riddler has us stuck in here?" queries Zatanna.

"That's the idea," replies Question.

"How did we walk into this one?" retorts Wonder Woman.

"This marks the fourth, maybe even the fifth time that a Batman rogue has gotten to us like this, so a further question who is behind all this and what end is it for said individual to hire villains to target us aside from having cause to suspect Lord as the architect of this charade," mumbles Question.

Question heads upstairs as if sensing a solution to the riddle.

_The way out is not out, but up or down?

* * *

_

The former cult compound appears as abandoned as they thought it yet the lack of communication from Question is beginning to worry Huntress even with her attempts to contact him using the comlink given to her by Barbara. After what happen weeks ago, nobody was ready to walk around without a properly modified earpiece comlink including Huntress. Separately the trio is navigating the hallways looking for signs that this place had been used since the cult's prior habitation of the grounds. The vacancy is not the least bit relieving, at least not entirely, but the void of activity and life is not always a good sign.

"_Anything in your search area Huntress?" _queries 'Batman'.

"Nothing as usual, I am starting to think this was a dead end," answers Huntress.

The floor opens ahead of her and behind her. Somebody knows they are there and put traps in apparently. The comlink goes on the fritz as someone or something is jamming them. The floor tilts downward then Huntress drops into the shaft. She tries to slow her descent by elbowing the shaft walls as well as pressing her boots against it except something shoots up below. It loosens her push to remain into place as it squeezing her. The descend picks up and she cannot reach her crossbow with her arms all tied up like this in binds. Huntress sniffs the air then realizes that these binds are alive, which meant only one person is causing them.

"Poison Ivy…" grumbles Huntress.

"Hello Huntress," replies Ivy.

"So where is Harley?" jests Huntress.

"Right here," calls Harley Quinn.

"It is not surprising to be caught by Ivy, but why is Harley here?"

"We work as a team now or haven't you heard?"

"That still going on, it would change in a heartbeat once Joker is loose again."

"No, it wouldn't I'm sticking with Red from now."

"Sure you will until the J-Man goes calling again."

"When did you start doing mind games… usually that's someone else like Batman or Scarecrow."

"I had a run in with Scarecrow a couple weeks ago… he's back in Arkham with broken fingers."

"I heard about somebody breaking his fingers… it wasn't you though… he gassed you."

Huntress strains not to think of what she saw in the nightmare. She starts to sweat behind the mask, but she had to get through this deflect something back at Ivy or Harley.

"I heard that nut boyfriend of yours actually did the breaking."

"You heard right, he doesn't take criminals harming his lady too well."

"Well I am betting he is a bit busy with Riddler's new 'game' right now."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"As he would say, that is the question," chuckles Harley.

"Oh, that does it!" growls Huntress.

Huntress forces her arms outward snapping the vines around her shoulders then kicks Harley across the room.

"How did you break my vines… those are the best strain I have made in years!" yells Ivy.

The two wrestle around on the floor.

"Always come prepared with different types of spray… not that I ever thought I would need the kind that Batman told me works against most of your plants," answers Huntress.

Huntress hearing foot falls behind her tumbles out of the way leaving Ivy open to the punch gun with the red boxing glove on it that Harley is known for using from time to time. Ivy stumbles backwards and hisses at Harley. Harley shrugs just before Huntress punches her. The connecting blow upsets Harley's balance, which sends her sprawling then rolling across the floor.

Ivy attempts a roundhouse kick, which Huntress catches then spin tosses Ivy into Harley as she is trying to get back to her feet. She whips out her crossbow and takes aim.

"I heard you don't play that rough anymore," goads Harley.

"You don't kill at least that's the word," adds Ivy.

"You sure about that?" replies Huntress.

She fires off two darts, which symmetrically pin Harley against the wall by way her headdress.

"Ah, that hurt, great you have any idea how long it takes to grow back hair?" cries Harley.

Ivy flicks oddly familiar minute size objects at Huntress.

"Just perfect…"

Vines instantly sprout and start to squeeze Huntress.

* * *

'Batman' and Catwoman arrive in the nick of time yet Ivy had used the spore diversion to free Harley then disappear to elsewhere in the compound.

"Looks like you did some fabric and hair damage to Harley Quinn," comments Catwoman.

"Well I had to think of something to even the odds, but of course there is also Ivy to contend with here. Any word from the others?" says Huntress.

"We haven't had any contact with them since they went into the Elliot Estate, something is blocking the comlinks, which is a worry," answers 'Batman'.

"Well we better wrap this up because I have a bad feeling Question and the others are at risk without us around," remarks Huntress.

The trio follows the only other way out of this room presuming that their quarries didn't double back on them.

* * *

Question makes it to the uppermost floor of the Elliot Estate yet even the windows up here are locked down tightly. Zatanna and Diana finally manage to catch up as Question starts to examine the dumbwaiter protruding from the far wall. It opens up to reveal something written into the back of dumbwaiter lift.

_First up then down, not left nor right, one way in, no way out, what am I?_

"What could that mean?" groans Diana.

"At first it sounds it might be describing the dumbwaiter," surmises Zatanna.

"Accurate, but there is a way out of a dumbwaiter," continues Question.

"So do you know what it is?" asks Diana.

"A coffin," answers Question.

An old television set sitting at angle among the pile of boxes turns on nearby.

"_**You could give Batman a run for his money, if he were still around and had any to spare. I am a season and a sign yet I am also heavy, what does it mean?"**_

"It is not the fall, but the sudden stop that quantifies gravity."

"_**Three for three Question… or do you prefer Vic Sage… either way we all have our masks… so down you go…like gravity."**_

Question drops first then Zatanna tries to send a rope down except all they hear is a whirl as if something had cut the rope. The floor closes up then the walls start closing in on them.

"_**Come now ladies… you always like having a trim figure though it is less of squeeze when the dimensions are specific to design."**_

"Clearly you aren't talking clothes shopping. Like rearview mirrors size is relative no matter the size of the lenses."

"_**Clever girl Zatanna… I tip my hat to you."**_

A mirror on the opposite wall slides down and the air sucks her back towards it then she too is no longer in the uppermost room leaving Diana alone up here.

"_**I have a shadow even in moonlight. Sounds are my eyes and fear is my game. Who am I?"**_

"Enough with the games Riddler!"

"_**You want the end… then you will have to play along whether you like it… all Knight."**_

"Now that's just stupid… you are no…."

The floor boards throw her backwards into the wooden door smashing it as she goes rolling down the stairwell after the steps tilt to become a ramp.

* * *

_No way out by going up, one way out by going down, there must be a way out down here. How else could Nygma escape the Estate unless he is not actually here, but how else could he see us unless he is here? _

Question scans the room concentrating on the outlines of things in the darkness.

_He enjoys the game too much to just watch from elsewhere, he must be somewhere, and he had given away how to escape this maze of his built into Tommy Elliot's old family residence._

Each step reveals a hidden dart shooters built in a haphazard fashion though most likely done on purpose to eliminate a distinct pattern, but there is pattern even chaos at least to Question. He cautiously maneuvers listening closely for the sound of a dart shooter and manages to evade them most of the time. A few miscalculations leave him with some micro-darts sticking out of the length of his body. He repeatedly and quietly snaps them off glad they didn't penetrate his body too deep, but Nygma's riddles usually were not overly violent or visceral yet other criminals had gone farther lately so he couldn't rely on an assumption to defeat Nygma.

He relies more on sound to dodge each trap, whether he evades it or sets it off, it is slow going to cross the hallway. There is a flickering sign at the end of the corridor, which becomes easier to make out even the lights go on and off at random intervals.

"_**Six Below, Room For One, Final Rest."**_

_I already found out what all this means so why be redundant unless I assume too much again._

Question bends back after hearing something sink under him then several spinning and sharp objects shoot out of the walls. Another close call among countless others tonight and dawn draws ever close. He only hopes the women are fairing alright wherever Riddler sent them. He can hear pounding through the wall ahead where the door is, but what does it mean in regards to the message above the doorway. He flicks out something from the locksmith set that Helena had given him as a Christmas gift. She did know where to find the most useful yet lightweight tools of trade.

_Remember to thank her for this later._

The door swings open revealing an upright coffin and the pounding ever loud.

"Who is in there?" shouts Question.

"Question? Get me out of here please," pleads Shayera.

"How did you get in here you didn't come with us," answers Question.

"I was searching for Batman on my own after the news hit about him killing someone."

_Shayera would never admit, but she has problems with tight spaces, a bit of claustrophobia._

"Why not use your mace?" suggests Question.

"It is not in here with me," replies Shayera.

_Either this is a trick or she is in there without her mace. I can't afford to second guess right now._

Question starts picking all the chained locks that are tightly bound to the coffin. Each clatters to the floor then he opens the door to reveal the familiar tough yet lovely Thanagarian except for her bloodshot eyes almost as she had been crying much in there.

"I owe you one, but for now I want to give that top hat weirdo hell for this contraption."

"You mean Riddler?"

"I am talking that other stocky one who Riddler called Mad Hatter."

Together they continue the search for a potential panic room, which is where Riddler could monitor them if he is on the grounds.

* * *

Catwoman goes flying backwards into a wall after taking a blast from Livewire.

"Who is the pale girl?" groans Catwoman.

"She briefly partnered up with Ivy and Harley though they got a handful from Batgirl and Supergirl."

'Batman' crosses his forearms to brace for a blast from Livewire.

"Right so how are the girls… looks like you could use their help… but that's the point of trapping you three in here… besides I know that guy with you two ain't Batman," snickers Livewire.

Huntress goes after Livewire only to be hit by the familiar red boxing glove and stumble back into Ivy who is simply wearing another boxing glove over her nimble hand. Huntress barely dodges it so the Ivy's glove connects with the advancing Harley. Harley falls backwards and groans as she hits the floor.

"You two really are useless," snorts Livewire.

"You are one to talk… a bit of powder and you would be a dead battery."

'Batman' whips out a couple of marble sized objects that emit the powder that Ivy had been innocuously talking about only seconds ago.

"Nice to remind them of that Red," coughs Livewire.

Livewire drops to the floor.

Catwoman's whip pulls Ivy down and forward. Ivy gets a concussion from the fall or at least what passes for one with her.

"We still have to find a way out though what do we do about them?" comments Huntress.

"We each carry one, make each is tightly bound up," suggests 'Batman'.

"Best hope they stay almost unconscious long enough for us to get out," retorts Catwoman.

* * *

Question and Shayera happen upon Zatanna who is busy fight Volcana who appears to be keeping J'onn hostage.

"How did they get J'onn?" quips Shayera.

"I have a feeling we will find out," remarks Question.

"I'll lend Zatanna a hand," continues Shayera.

_The technology looks familiar. It looks like the device from that military base where the Invaders held J'onn captive years ago when he come to Earth to warn us of the Invaders who were let loose by John Carter's curiosity. How and when did someone get their hands on this?_

Question examines the console looking for a way to shut the machine down except he is not alone on this side of the room.

"Hello Question," says Doctor Destiny.

"John Dee aka Doctor Destiny," responds Question.

"You are wondering how I got to the Martian I bet."

"You have kept him under using that because he was the only one to beat you in the dreamscape, but Batman, you have got a special bone to pick with him because he inadvertently made you catatonic."

"Right on the money… now how about you and Hawkgirl take a nap…"

Question slaps a button that deactivates the machine holding J'onn.

"We might be taking a nap… but you can't outmaneuver an alert telepath."

"Quick with your hands, but you and the others are still far behind."

Question crumples to the floor as does Shayera enable Destiny and Volcana to flee before J'onn fully recovers his orientation and his powers return to full. He initiates telepathic contact with them making certain that Destiny had not put them into a state similar to the one that he had sought to bring half of the original seven out. Destiny had only put them to sleep, which would slow down their advance though not for long.

Question awakens to see J'onn back in his usual look along with Shayera who had found her mace hidden in a vault thanks to J'onn.

"I am uncertain as to how much time has gone by since our captivity yet nobody could impersonate us unless they were shape shifters," comments J'onn.

"Likewise I want to shut down this place and toss that Hatter soon," interjects Shayera.

"How did they get you J'onn?" asks Question.

"Volcana set off a fire around me, which triggered an explosion strong enough to apparently knock me out. After that I awoke in that holding device with a psychic nullifier nearby."

"Brings back old memories I bet."

"Yes, the Invaders that had infiltrated the military and the political arm of Earth used something similar trap me."

Shayera knows to answer next without a prompt.

"Destiny had come after me in my sleep again by appearing as Hro, John, and Carter. It is too personal to reveal what they did exactly except it too brought back the strongest bad memories for me and I found myself unable to wake… like nightmares are still another place where all the decisions are the wrong ones."

"Let's just focus on getting out of here."

* * *

They finally arrive at a room where Wonder Woman is staring at three monitors.

One can see Joker who is holding two remotes as seen on the center monitor.

On the left monitor is the missing Batman is hanging over an acid vat like the one that made Joker.

On the right monitor is Superman hanging over a vat with liquid kryptonite in it.

"_Nothing like a captive audience… hahaha,"_ laughs Joker.

"You won't get away with this Joker," yells Wonder Woman.

"_Well Princess… you can save your Dark Knight or you can save Blue Boy… the catch is when you spring one… I will dunk the other… thus transforming and/or killing said other,"_ continues Joker.

"Either way one of them ends up dead or worse," snaps Wonder Woman.

"_Chaos for Wonder Woman… your 'lover' or your 'brother'…" _cackles Joker.

"Where are they?" demands Diana.

"_Don't bother having the Martian scan for them. There are telepathic blockers near them."_

"So how are we supposed to find either of or both of them?" hisses Diana.

"_Think mythology Princess," _replies Joker.

The center monitor winks off and the countdown begins as they have less than an hour to find both.

The left monitor also now reads Atlas and the right reads Styx.

"We still have to find a way out of here," reminds Question.

Diana flies up at the ceiling then gets a knock-back from an energy discharge that zaps her armor.

"It can't be done by simple smashing…"

Question rips the center monitor away from the wall and finds what he had been looking for an exit. The group emerges from under the estate less than five minutes later yet the issue remains how to get both heroes back without injury or insanity.

"Half of us will have to get to Axis Chemicals and half of us will have to get to the Gotham Opera House… except nobody release the captives… we have to find a way to release both without losing the other."

J'onn attempts to telepathically reach the others before flying in the direction of Wayne Manor.

Diana and Zatanna head off for the Gotham Opera House.

Question and Shayera fly off towards Axis Chemicals.

The clock is ticking and they have less than forty minutes left.

* * *

A/N 1: The impostors remain at large. Their identities are speculated. Hush doesn't appear at all in animated continuity.

A/N 2: A few temporary shifts have happen in the Batclan. Likewise Cassandra Cain only has an uncredited cameo in JL Savage Time.

A/N 3: Several villains make active or passive cameos in the latter half. Nods are made to their various appearances in DCAU.

A/N 4: Again this is a somewhat long chapter and locations swap frequently so hopefully the pacing works aside from the length.


	24. Quandaries

It is only minutes to midnight as Question stands before the controls that decide who to release and who to damn if another way cannot be found to keep both from the turns that Joker brings to them. The clues had been a misdirection all too clear by the time they had come to land atop Axis Chemicals as Shayera is almost instantly under attack by a deranged Hawkman likely the work of Mad Hatter or Doctor Destiny. It is also apparent that Wonder Woman faces her own opposition even though there is more Diana to her tonight then there is the guise of Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman faces someone calling him self Conduit and his capabilities if understood rival, maybe even surpass Metallo. This is too coordinated even for Joker so either Joker is behind this or someone is placing Joker in a position to look like the mastermind of this plan.

Another typical Nietzsche thought comes to mind as the clock ticks still only minutes from midnight.

_The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy._

"So if this is the Illuminati, what do they hope to gain from this?" murmurs Question.

_A'Daire insists Lord is a renegade, but it would not be above them to lie or rather be masters of obfuscation. Often time mediums reflect the realities they represent though many are content to pass it off as fiction though there is often more true in fiction and more fiction in that which seems true._

"So if Lord is really a renegade then he has been playing all sides against the middle in a way Luthor could never have done though Luthor had almost done it even while sharing a body with Brainiac."

He looks to the console that controls the mechanism that suspends Batman over the acid vat while likewise he can imagine Superman upside down at the other location. Joker had put the ultimatum to Wonder Woman, but could she really be able to make the call without it becoming exceedingly personal. He knows she could not and he realizes he cannot make it either yet somebody must do something otherwise both will be no more as they were, one will become mad and the other dead.

If someone springs Batman then goes Superman into the vat of liquid Kryptonite.

If someone releases Superman then the insanity will claim Batman's mind from the inside.

If this is Maxwell Lord's doing then he had found quite the quandary for anyone especially someone like Question who at one time would only be putting his own life on the line without attachments, but his relationship with Huntress… with _Helena_ changed everything for him.

* * *

The routes from here manifest in familiar guises inside of his thoughts about what pathway to follow from here. He can 'hear' not only the voices of Batman and Superman as they appear to shout at the same time, but so do the voices of women like Barbara, Diana, Selina, Zatanna, Lois, and Helena.

"_**Dick can become Batman. He is one of the best I ever trained, save Superman, he can be the hero with the face, some will hate you for it, maybe kill you, but you can make the right choice," **_compels Batman.

_He can clearly see Batman in a straitjacket in Arkham and Bruce Wayne in a psychiatric hospital._

"_**I can take more physical damage then Batman, super powers don't make a superhero, Batman because of Bruce has all a hero needs to be coming from a place like Gotham, Gotham needs Batman, sure the Kryptonite could kill me, but I risk death over Batman going insane, do the right thing,"**_commands Superman.

_There is a new S symbol monument in Metropolis and a head stone for Clark Kent in Smallville._

Question looks back forth between the within reach controls to spring Batman and the image of Superman plunging into liquid Kryptonite. Likewise the reverse turn of Superman being kept from the liquid Kryptonite is a prelude to Batman falling into the acid vat then reappearing with a Joker-esque like complexion and insanity to match it. He tries to push both scenarios out of mind then there is an undead Superman and a psychotic Batman advancing on him before Question grips his skull.

"_**You can't save everyone so you have to pick one or the other. I know part of me would say save Batman because of Bruce, but you can't let sentiment affect your decision," **_pleads Barbara.

_In his mind there is an empty hospital bed and a grave in Gotham Cemetery for Bruce Wayne. Those closest to both have been visiting the hospital and the grave._

"_**Both can be saved if someone goes in after Superman after you release Batman. You have to rescue Batman, not just for the League, for Gotham, but for me you know we love each other. Don't condemn me to a world without him because we all need something to live for," **_insists Diana.

He reaches towards the release switch for Batman's restraints. He knows Diana is halfway across the city yet her presence lingers like others in his mind as he struggles to decide what should be done.

"_**I know you are afraid of saving one and failing the other, but you have the fear, work through it. I know you hate being in this position and recoil at the consequences. I know you worry about what Diana among others will do to you, feelings matter, but you must do something,"**_ remarks Zatanna.

Hesitation does not help him here yet it is in him so much like fear or rather indecision that could condemn both heroes and him with the knowledge that he could have done something for at least one.

"_**I have already seen him almost die several times already, seen him brainwashed, met versions of him that crossed the line, and nearly witnessed him crossing the line, but you can't let him die. I need him in ways far deeper than Metropolis or greater than the world,"**_ interjects Lois.

_A funeral not unlike the one given when the world thought Superman did die several years earlier summons to mind and instead Lois is pummeling him for not saving Superman. He could not blame this version of her for her emotional state because in her place he would be equally broken down or worse if it were Helena._

"_**You were right about me from the beginning and I kept be wrong about you in style. I know you didn't expect to fall in love with me and I never knew what living again felt like until I fell in love with you Vic. So hold on… you will know the answer… just believe you can do it like you believe in my love for you," **__recommends Helena.

* * *

_

He taps his earpiece comlink in an attempt to raise both Flash and Green Lantern. Both respond even though missions or conflicts have come to them instead of them walking into like Question had twice tonight.

"_I'd like to help, but somebody with powers like mine is making a mess in Central City. He has got Linda and her news station hostage. I am going to need back up to handle the backlash if his threat about bombs tied to me using my powers is true," _answers Flash.

A villain resembles Brainthor's sick of joke of a Justice Lord Flash. A Justice Lord Flash that never was because President Luthor shot Flash on the White House front lawn in what would become the Justice Lords reality. A reality which began with the assassination of President Luthor as his actions could have led to World War Three as well as a superhuman arms race. Events were recurring with variations here in this reality, but this inversion of Flash is something new. This is like so many other nights before is not his night. The response from Lantern is equally discouraging with Sinestro attacking Lantern's home city.

"_If it were somebody other than Sinestro then I would leave it to somebody else, but I'm the only one who stands a chance against Sinestro's power ring. I would ask for backup here though I don't think I will need it, I just can't be in two places at once," _remarks Lantern.

* * *

Timing, it all had come down to that, all this had been set in motion with a single death, but how could one more matter against all the numbers above one. A rant in his mind continues with the words of one versus dozens, one versus hundreds, one versus thousands or in today's world one against billions. Sinestro hits Lantern's home turf and someone with Flash like abilities takes hostages in Central City. A deranged Hawkman attacks Shayera and someone similar in power source to Metallo is fighting Diana. The deck is stacking against them except this all so far is only delay and deception.

He goes to the terminal finally and searches for the release command program. He had to pick one or else risk losing both. The dilemma had been wracking his mind for years though this time it is not his life on the line with the dilemma in mind. He enters the command as necessary to release Batman then begins his run to the edge of the circular platform to dive across in the hopes that he will be time it well enough to have them clear the vat before dropping below the rim. Otherwise he would risk turning him and Batman psychotic. This outcome is unacceptable so this had to work because the other outcomes he had seen were equally disdainful.

He inputs the command and makes a comlink call for someone to be ready to retrieve Superman from the liquid Kryptonite vat. He didn't feel like a hero tonight. He never felt like a hero even though others would look upon him as the hero who is perhaps one of the most human among them. He runs to the edge of the platform after entering the release command then lunges across hanging onto the notion that his jump is precise enough for him to catch the unconscious Batman. All in the timing as usual, but he always understood that much hangs the deceptively insignificant like specific timing and precision wording.

The rest that follows the lunging jump is a blur as he feels the nerves in both hands scream yet the rest of his muscle howl though assigning sounds to the strain his body feels while holding up Batman's unconscious frame is an all too brief distraction from the pain.

"_Great is the power of habit. It teaches us to bear fatigue and to despise wounds and pain."_ – Cicero

One for Nietzsche, one for Cicero, but even so there is still the one way this could go 'wrong'.

He can feel both his grip on the rim and on Batman slipping so much for trying to do the right thing appears to be the thought to die to yet again. The last time two times he had been wrong about that and what he would not give to be wrong about dying once again. He feels a hand gripping his own and it looks more than just familiar. It could belong only to one woman, the woman that he put his life on the line for more than once since he first met her and fell in love with her. There are not enough words or too sparse to find the language to express the ways in which she kept saving him even though she insists that he had been the one to save her first. He can hear the sounds of grapplers as 'Batman' and 'Batgirl' descend rapidly from high to recover the actual Batman from Question's straining arm lock.

Huntress pulls Question the rest of the way up only to find that Catwoman had been holding Huntress up.

"Let's get one thing straight Mr. Paranoid… this wasn't for you!" hisses Catwoman.

"I know it was for _him_ so let's get out of here before Joker blows this place up," murmurs Question.

The P.A. System crackles to life.

"_Oh, look at the time, you see I do get so sick of last minute saves, now tonight I was so set on there not being any and I am a man of my word if nothing else… you see the joke is on you… I was only out to off Batsy or Stupidman… something told me Wonder Buns would go after Batsy, so long Stupidman… of course you went to the pull thinking you could get both by having someone pluck him out of the dip."_

Timers light up at both Axis Chemicals and Gotham Opera House.

"_The Kryptonite has made Stupidman weak enough to be killed and as for the lineup here the acid as well as the diesel and ammonium nitrate is enough to burn everything. Time to die with a smile!"_

They all hear Joker's cackles before the P.A. abruptly cuts off.

"Wonder Woman, get Superman and the others out of the opera house!" orders Question.

There is no response except static something is jamming comlink transmissions, which again is almost too hi-tech for Joker. The air starts to smell funny, which means it is diesel, ammonium nitrate, or worse Joker's laughing gas. One could hope that 'Batman' is carrying the anti-venom for the gas and several start doubling over in fits of laughter. However the actual Batman has the 'luck' to be out cold during all this.

"Dick… hehe… the anti-venom… haha… do you have any?" snorts Huntress.

"I think so… heh… must be in one of the pouches maybe… haha," chuckles 'Batman'.

"Get it out… we have to get moving… the timers show we have less than five minutes to get out!"

Catwoman is the first to fall convulsing from uncontrollable laughter. Next to go is Huntress who is laughing into tears while 'Batgirl' makes no sound except there are signs of tears. Question starts to laugh except is intermittent as he struggles to will himself against it so he takes the anti-venom from the laughing 'Batman' then jabs himself with it then he injects some into 'Batman'. He can hear Shayera and Hawkman cracking up as they fall seemingly away from the vats luckily. He injects both Catwoman and Huntress next before going after Shayera.

"Dick… Helena… you get them out here!" commands Question.

"I am not leaving you alone in here!" yells Huntress.

"I will catch up… have to get to Shayera and Hawkman!" rebukes Question.

'Batman' and Huntress trade looks for a moment before realizing they had to put their own feelings in limbo for now because they had little over four and a half minutes left to get out.

* * *

Elsewhere at Gotham Opera House, Diana and Zatanna are having fits of laughter while Superman is unconscious yet Captain Atom is straining to concentrate on bombarding him with yellow sun radiation. As for Betty, she is fuming over Joker's bombs except the gas is already affecting her too.

Nightshade portals in with Etrigan, which again could lead to another possible last minute save that Joker had been complaining about before announcing the presence of the bombs at both locations.

Conduit is also succumbing to laughter so in an effort to escape he smashes through a wall except it causes the ceiling to cave in, which drops all of them beneath the stage yet Atom keeps Superman from falling into the dip a second time. However nobody could reach Betty so she is under the rubble.

Etrigan casts a spell meant to deflect the effects of the laughing gas, but it is only temporary as magic can only nullify, not negate science. Diana rushes to get the rubble off Betty after noticing the worried look on Atom's face. In the almost three years since she first met him, she had rarely seen him show emotions, which almost made him rival J'onn in that regard. However she could tell the worried look of a man who deeply cares about…maybe even loves the woman stuck under the rubble and debris.

The debris that had fallen onto Betty hit her in such a way that moving her could kill her even they could use a magic portal or teleport yet Nightshade is apt to try given that she can read emanations from Atom in regards to her. However not even magic can prevent death when there is not enough left in the body to save it as it had been with her mother, but her health had been failing by then. Likewise she would never really believe her brother's claims about the origins of what led to their mother's death.

She sadly regrets never mending that rift yet his behavior after her death made being around him more difficult then it had ever been. The strain was greater than she anticipated because their twin bond was made deeper by being _Homo Magi_. Her suspicions about his apparent death after over a decade at the psychiatric hospital in Maine, but story went that he had been using his powers to duplicate his medications in order to overdose. She found hard to believe as he was always a brim of emotions, but never suicidal in her opinion, but both her father and his psychiatrist had an almost ironclad case for him turning suicidal as he continued to refute their mother's death by disease.

He would remember things that she either could not remember or some part of her kept blocking it out. She could never fully tell, but she was not about to allow another woman to die if she could prevent it. She goes over to Betty and starts chanting in an effort to heal her wounds, but some of them are too deep even for magic to seal effectively. However she is not giving up on Betty, not by a long shot, but they were running out of time unless Atom mysteriously develops the ability to manipulate time though this is unlikely as she knows his powers to be strictly in regards to radiation.

"How is she?" asks Zatanna.

"It does not look good, I am doing what I can, but all this rubble cut her deep," confesses Nightshade.

"Get them out of here, I don't think I am coming back from this one," groans Betty.

"Don't you give up yet, there's still time… walk us through the disarmament," suggests Diana.

"There is no way to know which sequence to do it… I thought I had it, but Mr. Kryptonite buried us."

"Tell me what you think it is or at least tell me how to absorb the explosion!" demands Atom.

"I'm sorry Nate, but there's no time… they are rigged to go off in less than four minutes. There are dozens of them in this building if the lower auditorium is any indication. You were always better at being a hero then me. Save these people… stop whoever is behind this," implores Betty.

"I already gave you up once before I am not doing it again," retorts Atom.

"So stubborn… made me love and hate you at the same time," admits Betty.

Nightshade must now decide between teleporting out the others or continue trying to save Betty. It is transparently obvious that she hates having to make that call so she takes Zatanna and Jason out first despite their objections. She teleports them then beams back before Zatanna can shout an objection, but Zatanna finds her last meal coming up as if teleportation via magic felt worse then the League teleporters. Next she takes Diana and Superman while the latter is barely starting to regain consciousness. The Kryptonian is not nearly strong enough to do any heavy lifting despite the boost that Atom had given him to keep him alive.

Each teleport made Nightshade feel slightly weaker to be using so much magic and power for such a long span is always a strain regardless of who the _Homo Magi_ is as well as what he or she can do with her abilities.

If anyone dares to start digging through the rubble it might worsen the collapse and possibly injure Atom in such a way that he could detonate killing everyone including his beloved Betty though without a way to extricate her from the rubble, Betty could die anyway. There is no humor in saying that this predicament had split Atom between his heart and his head.

The splitting of the atom had been one of many things to define the past century yet like its mythical counterpart the Pandora's box, the splitting of the atom could never be taken back just as Captain Atom not being able to go back just Nathaniel Adams. Likewise Plastique still casts a shadow on the fading life of Betty Sans Souci even though Atom is stubbornly refusing to allow to her die, but she had become his stake in this world once again.

Nightshade reappears to find Atom… to find _Nathan_ holding Betty's hand. It is less then three minutes to midnight and nothing about this predicament felt fair to her though she could tell from both of them they were resenting this even though both try to put a brave front on it. She would wait as long as she could because there was nothing left to be done for Betty as much as it tears her to admit it, but moving her would kill her and a teleport might not work in this situation.

Betty deserved a better fate then to perish in an explosion set off by a crazed clown like Joker, but such are the turns that intersect lives like theirs. This is the only world they know because they could not lead lives like every man or every woman. Likewise there is in actuality perhaps no every man or every woman for that matter. It is an unnerving premise to consider that all they perceive to be so is a lie so all they have left to them is how they feel and what they believe in when facing all that encompasses their existence.

* * *

Back at Axis Chemicals, 'Batman' and 'Batgirl' shoulder Batman as they continue to run for what they hope is an exit from this stationary powder keg. As for Huntress, she is carrying Catwoman who is still showing signs of Joker gas induced giggles, but some things like that cannot be taken care of with a minimal dose shot. Huntress tries repeatedly to raise Question, but something is affecting the comlink transmitters.

Shayera had torn the helm off Hawkman's head to find somebody probably the Mad Hatter had put some mind altering hardware into it. He looks quite distraught to see her lacerations and cuts that he knows his weapon must have made on her, but she smacks him an effort to get him to focus.

"Look Carter we have to get out of here this place is going to blow in less then three minutes and we have no way to beam out!" snaps Shayera.

"Then we best get going… I suppose we owe our save to him?" remarks Carter.

"You can thank me later… just make some use of your wings and get us out of here okay!" insists Question.

Shayera and Carter each take one of Question's arms then start flapping over in the general direction that he believes is the path the others took whilst in search of an exit from this death trap. If he were feeling even slightly humorous, he might have made a dry jest about hawks though even in jest it would be in bad taste.

He can feel the heat from the vats they fly over them as the count tumbles ever closer to zero. Question is obviously well read even for religious texts for one can never read too much except when one perhaps reads too much. Heat like fire from a dragon and flight for escape from those with wings, but right now at least tonight still had a chance to end without death or insanity.

The timers draw closer to two and a half minutes as they start to catch up to the others, but the anti-venom is starting to wear off. The dosage is just not strong enough to keep the gas from flooding their systems again so the laughter starts again. 'Batman' struggles to find more anti-venom while trying to refrain from laughter.

"Fight it… haha… keep moving… can't stop… so close… we have to be!" chuckles 'Batman'.

There is at least enough to inject only half of them, but it would have to do for now. The injections are given to Shayera, Carter, 'Batman', and Huntress. The rest would have to struggle to hold back the laughs if they could, but there is enough of the gas in here to send half of Gotham laughing to their deaths if under its sway for too long.

'Batgirl', Catwoman, and Question try to hold back the laughs, but the gas negates even the strongest of mental wills except for on occasion Batman. Batman often proves the exception to things that usually put a stopper for others yet it is his relentlessness that earns him many fear based accolades among criminals and super villains except in the case of Joker more frequently then anyone else.

"Has anyone seen an exit or something that looks like a way out yet?" quips Shayera.

"Still looking, the windows look they would not be much use though you could try smashing through with your mace," suggests Huntress.

"Carter, take Question, time to see if these windows are as shatter proof as they look!"

Shayera flaps upward then strikes it only to get a jolt through the mace as if the feedback system could counter even nth metal, which is exceptionally rare unless somebody had gotten their hands on remains of that Gordanian cruiser that crashed in DC years ago. The same cruiser that was used as part of the ruse that enabled her former lover and commander to build a Hyperspace Bypass Generator in the Gobi Desert. The shock stung her though she remains in flight fortunately so she descends back to help Carter continue to carry Question.

* * *

The timers stand at just over two minutes remaining until detonation and midnight.

Back at the buried basement of the Gotham Opera House, Atom and Plastique take a backseat to Nathan and Betty as they reminiscence about life before Project Atom.

"I remember the first time you took me up in one of your planes. Probably one of best moments of my entire life and we usually never did anything typical for dates, but nothing about us was typical. Your had your duties, your ideals, and much more that had come before you being Mr. Air Force Pilot."

"You always did enjoy flying with me. Of course for me to be using a multimillion dollar aircraft to do that certainly didn't earn me praise. However it was often worth the warnings and the occasional reprimand. I never totally got your concerns about governments, militaries, and covert agencies until this happen, but of course by then there was no way out at least to me."

"I occasionally wonder how things could have been different if we both had run away from Rockefeller, but you being you, you wouldn't have gone along with it especially not with Eiling using me as leverage to keep you around and in line because of my associations. My parents often told me stories of what went on with the scares such as committees run by politicians like Senator McCarthy."

"A decidedly dark time for the world when within a single nation that the population should be cut loose on itself and I fear for the prospect of such thing except being let loose on the League for starters. It would put all our lives at risk in ways more subtle then what happen with Cadmus."

It is less than two minutes before detonation and midnight.

"I still have that pocket watch you gave me long ago. I remember reading something written by Einstein. He was talking about the splitting of the atom of all things, but in retrospect it actually makes a lot of sense to me after what happen to me, to us."

Betty smiles weakly while Nathan holds her hand. He recites the quote to her in a moment.

"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."

There is barely a minute and a half left.

"Hindsight often impales us with wisdom that denials had kept us from acknowledging, but with all the nukes in the world even today, we still live in the shadow of the splitting of the atom."

"Something deceptively small is made one of the most destructive forces on the planet except humanity made it happen so it never stops. All we do to save this world collides with all that could destroy it."

"It is not always about saving the world, sometimes it is all the things that never make headline news unless somebody happen to see it transpire, but regardless of what happen to you, to us. It hasn't kept you from doing the right thing."

"I won't leave you here to die. That would be wrong."

"There is nothing to stop that now. You have already saved me before, but you can't save everyone."

Betty looks to Nightshade and the look is one she could understand as it reminds her so much of the way her mother was looking at her before her death. As if telling her to look after her brother because only she could grasp the emotional sensitivity of him, of Lucas, because they were twins. In this moment however it is more like Betty telling her something else entirely. Something like you'll have to forcibly remove him before the time runs out otherwise a rupture could kill half of Gotham's population.

* * *

It is less than a minute to midnight when Shayera and Carter finish battering through several inches of titanium with their nth metal weaponry. Carter takes flight with Catwoman and 'Batgirl' while Shayera goes into the air with Huntress and 'Batman'. As for Question, he and Batman who is finally starting to come around start running away from the dilapidated Axis Chemicals plant in the hopes that they can outrun the blast since the teleporter scattering field appears to encompass to the entire complex.

"So you are telling me I was framed for murder and I have been a hostage of Joker for an unknown amount of time?" groans Batman.

"Yes and yes. I had found out after the murders that you and Sasha were replaced by a pair surgically altered to look the parts. I suspect Elliot's hand in that quarter," says Question.

"I think we can finish this discussion later when there is not a complex counting down to blow up around us," continues Batman.

"I believe you are right besides I didn't think you would be waking so soon, but then you have been continuously drugged for an unknown span of time," remarks Question.

Less than half a minute remains as those traveling by air begin to clear the skies over Axis Chemicals so they attempt to teleport back to the Metro Tower, which finally does work as they are apparently out of the scattering field.

Batman and Question are the last ones they are waiting for from that location.

Jason had to literally carry Zatanna to force her back to the Metro Tower because the gas is still in her system like several of the others. As for Diana, she brought back Superman then demands to know where Batman is presently. She is told the infirmary though of course she discovers it is only Dick who as she knew spent most of the night masquerading as Batman so she dashes back to the teleport pad only to find Huntress running away from medical staffers.

She and Diana against medical recommendations prepare to beam to the location that Huntress and the others only just come from less than a minute ago. They also had less than half a minute before the bombs at both locations went off.

* * *

At the caved-in basement of the Gotham Opera House, Nightshade attempts to grab onto Atom except he resists her then makes his hands glow as if intending to blast her.

"There is no time for this Nate… if we stay, we die… if you stay half of Gotham could perish with you when your suit ruptures. You know the dangers that are brought to the lives of others if the containment suit gets torn open," reminds Nightshade.

"I am not leaving her, not again, and nobody can make me do otherwise, not even you _Eve_."

Betty is aware that less than twenty five seconds on the timers now. She mouths something to Nightshade. It is with a heavy heart that Nightshade manipulates shadows to enable her to restrain Atom long enough to grab onto him to summon a teleport to get them away from the area.

The GCPD had already been put on alert to evacuate though there is still the possibly of casualties.

She can feel tears streaming down her face as he screams at her for doing this.

"Why are you doing this?" yells Atom.

"For you, but mostly her… she loves you… more then you know," murmurs Nightshade.

Less than twenty seconds remain as she regains the focus to attempt the teleport. He looks back to Betty as the countdown goes below fifteen. Part of him wishes she had not come with him here tonight, but leaving her out of things is what led to the parting of ways in the first place. Betty weakly smiles again despite having that look of knowing she will die in ten seconds.

Atom and Nightshade disappear from beneath the collapsed interior of the Gotham Opera House.

The show billing despite its faded appearance reads Pagliacci. In five seconds, the windows blow out, the building skeleton between the collapse and the explosion will crunch then crumble before the intensity of the detonations causes the opera house to erupt and rain down on Gotham City.

Nightshade collapses after the teleport then Atom flies off to the crater left behind by the destruction of the Gotham Opera House. She couldn't blame his need to see for himself despite him allowing her to save him from his innate desire to die with her rather then face a world without her. If it were Lucas, she have a hard time leaving too even when they made it sound like he had committed suicide, she wouldn't believe the story, twin intuition is what she would chalk it up to at the time.

In later years she went back to the hospital only to find it vacant of any signs of use yet the lingering magic traces of her brother did linger as if telling her that he is out there somewhere though she had no idea where to start looking until recently. His trace kept turning up wherever she went when there were League members on hand as if he was being sent to do things to further whatever is dogging them at every turn.

* * *

**Twenty three seconds ago…**

All the way out at Axis Chemicals, Batman and Question are still running at a breakneck speed after seeing the others vanish in columns of light, meaning the teleport scattering field had a peripheral limitation so all they had to do was get out of it. However there is still quite a distance to cover and both are showing signs of fatigue though more so Batman with too much sedative still in his bloodstream.

"Have to reach the beam out… didn't risk falling into Joker making acid to have us blown to bits anyway. I'd like to avoid funerals for awhile so move it _Bruce_."

"If I could run any faster I would, but this sedative is hard to fight even with the fear of death in me. Then again fear has always been with me. So what are you afraid of _Vic_?"

"Weren't you always the one to say my head is not a nice place to be?"

"Guess you are saying I would like your fears about as much as my own."

"Doesn't take a detective for that one."

"For all the times you can be right, even a conspiracy theorist can still be wrong."

"Trust me, I wish there was plenty to be wrong about tonight or rather morning."

It is less then twenty seconds until Axis Chemicals goes up courtesy of Joker's bombs. They keep running, but one is drugged and the other is exhausted despite how both had pushed themselves in the past. Their pace slackens before both feel themselves fall to the ground as they cannot really muster more energy to push on. The ground comes up to fast for them as the remaining seconds pass by too fast though the speed of time is constant, only perception gives it the illusion of velocity.

Question strains to look over to Batman. Batman looks almost bad as he feels, but then there are the sounds of heeled boots coming towards them. There is a mixture of apprehension and relief as to whether they were about to betaken away from here or killed after the explosion almost got them. His eyes barely stay open long enough to feel someone picking him up. Perhaps the most beautiful sight in the universe to see before losing consciousness is these two dark brown irises.

If she had come then so had Diana, but that is a given with Bruce.

* * *

His eyes flutter open though he immediately puts a hand over his eyes knowing that someone had taken his mask off, but he was in the infirmary of the Metro Tower so it did not matter so much. His skull felt rather reactive to touch, but of course he had hit still winter earth in Gotham, which in his experience had some of the fiercest winters he ever saw aside from the mesmerizing effect of a blizzard. He looks to the bed next to his only to find Bruce immediately trying to get back into costume before three women arrive then drag him back to the bed.

"You need to take some time off. You were almost blown to bits last night," reminds Zatanna.

"So were the rest of you, but that didn't stop you from risking your lives," retorts Bruce.

"She has a point and besides it wasn't easy for us to get you out alive," interjects Selina.

"The last person I would expect to come after me includes you Selina," continues Bruce.

"You can't change how any of us feel about you, especially not me," sighs Diana.

Bruce settles back into bed after discarding his costume and armor for infirmary patient wear.

"They won't let you go back to Gotham with the shape you are in. You'll have to let Gotham weather time without Batman. Grayson has proven him self capable of stepping up when necessary so trust in the training you have given them if nothing else," comments Vic.

"Obviously if they thought it would take three of them to stop me from going back to Gotham. I guess I owe you one for a change for driving them as a team to defeat this oddly timed team up of villains. However I would gather this might factor into your theory about an Illuminati plot," responds Bruce.

"This was all an elaborate diversion. Everything from Ted Grant's murder to last night all a diversion, but of course Interpol and other agencies are looking to arrest you though I hope the evidence we have to clear you is enough for the government," says Vic.

"Leave it to you to recognize visual discrepancies, but in your place I would have seen the same."

Helena enters the infirmary and goes to Vic immediately. She gently hugs and kisses him.

"She looks happy to see you up _Vic_."

"I heard about you trying to sneak out _Bruce_," teases Helena.

"Right, how far is that going to get before tonight?" groans Bruce.

"It is not like it is going to be general knowledge, but they were talking about it."

Shayera drops by later that afternoon with some bandages on her from the cuts and lacerations she got from fighting with a mentally manipulated/deranged Hawkman. He for his part is spending today with J'onn as being a listener or counselor is something the Martian had proven to be quite adept at in recent years.

Dinah and Oliver arrive at the Metro Tower by evening to report that the impostors trail went cold in Venice, but they made one rather gruesome discovery that Mandragora is dead. There is no way to verify who did him except that he was shot through the head at close range.

Dinah knows from experience her subsonic cry did nothing to him other than shredding his jacket and shirt. Oliver remembers the ineffectiveness of his arrows against the bulk of Mandragora. Question had not been trying to do anything except slow Mandragora down, but didn't work either. Huntress made a pile of I-Beams fall on him, which only did enough to knock him out. Nobody have ever been able to shoot him, let alone kill him, not until recently anyway, and Huntress remembers the warning she had given Mandragora back in Montenegro.

Her parents' murderer chose to ignore it at the cost of his life and loss of a father for his only son.

* * *

Captain Atom is holding a faded photograph of himself and Betty from years ago taken near one of his personal planes off base. All he had left of her now were memories and photographs, which disconnect all of it from time. Something Vic Sage told him once after his second reunion with Betty had come to mind now only countless hours after her death at the opera house. Vic is famous or infamous for quoting from countless literary personalities that characteristically fit the situation in retrospect.

His out of costume name befit his sparse wisdom even though he would never try to impress it on others. He merely spoke his mind when necessary and undertook actions that never make sense when he does them yet afterward the purpose is clearer.

_"Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward."_- Soren Kierkegaard

He felt adrift without her despite having once held on so tightly to the ingrained training of being an Air Force pilot. He also felt bad for his treatment of Eve because she did try to do the right thing despite the personal consequences it brought for him. She did her best to try to save Betty, but eventually Eve had to decide between Nathan's feelings for Betty and the livelihood of Gotham's civilian populace. He only wonders how he could apologize to her even if he had known where to find her.

She appears from shadows only moments after his thoughts seem to latch onto her. She hands him a timepiece she found in the ruins of the Gotham Opera House. It is mechanically broken and the jewels have lost most of their shine, but it is not beyond repair so he would have it fixed somehow even when its wearer would not be around to wear it.

"I did it because she asked it of me with her eyes. I had already been bound to a promise like that once before and it never gets any easier when having to decide in those situations," says Nightshade.

"I know, but like I told you long ago she and I have more than just history," reminds Atom.

"It is hard not to notice yet while also trying to heal her I could feel what she felt. Feelings can be as potent as any magic and as corny it would sound love can be a very powerful magic in its own right."

"So why are you here besides to return her watch to me?"

"Thought you could use the company even if you were angry and upset with me."

"You did what you thought you had to do to save lives including mine even when it meant losing her though I will never truly lose her at least not in my memories. I am tired of being caught up in the mess of other people's lives. I simply sought to live my own again."

"I wouldn't say I know, but you are not the only one who feels this way. No I am not trying to belittle you or lessen what this lifestyle we are in does to personal lives yet here we are. It all comes and goes, but now and again it has its moments."

She didn't bother to ask so she just kisses him without warning. It is too quick for him to block and too short for him to make any sort of response. As quickly as she had come she is again gone except she left a note. He almost smiles again.

_**If you need me, just think me, and I will be there for you somehow. – Eve.

* * *

**_A/N 1: This isn't the first version of this chapter. A headache and writer's block definitely left me in a creative void. So it begins more like a mental struggle for Question and ends up leaving them all almost as clueless as they were before.

A/N 2: This is also the first chapter where the POV doesn't stick to the two main characters of the story. Bits of Captain Atom and Nightshade tend to crop up periodically because she's coming more into the story now. More on her back story is brought up.

A/N 3: As for Nightshade's back story, I changed the brother's name Larry to Lucas and I also made them twins. Not sure if they were that already. What happens to Lucas is similar to what happens to Byron Lewis aka Mothman from **Watchmen**.

A/N 4: Enter Conduit, a Superman rogue from the comics who wears a Kryptonite augmented suit. Enter a new-old Flash rogue, he's basically this story's version of Zoom. Zoom and Sinestro are keeping Flash and Green Lantern busy elsewhere.

A/N 5: Betty's death was not originally part of this chapter. The same goes for Mandragora except he got an 'off-screen' death. Likewise what happens with Carter Hall aka Hawkman, not initially there either. I try to stick as few characters as possible, but this chapter was hard to hammer out.

A/N 6: In the midst of writer's block however I got fragments of ideas for chapters to follow this one... haven't run out of Watchmen nods either.


	25. Connections

Joe Martin pays a visit to Ted Grant's grave. He believes is not seen doing this. Martin is wrong, but of course the burial was put off because of the weather. It was one of the snowiest winters in memory for Question aside from spending Christmas at Wayne Manor and New Years in the Metro Tower Infirmary. The vacation in Montenegro quickly led back to the conspiracy that is still closing in around them especially if the recent events in Gotham said anything for it. As for who specifically is behind it, Question suspects Maxwell Lord, now known Illuminati member except other Illuminati members he met in Montenegro insist Lord is a renegade.

Joe Martin is the Atomic Skull. He fought Wildcat in Roulette's Metabrawl. One wonders how he learned of Wildcat's secret identity. It piques Question's curiosity and so he would follow Martin in order to answer that curiosity. Grant had no close friends and enemies starting with the criminal underworld then branching out into the super criminal variety. However none seem to have an awareness of Ted Grant being the man behind Wildcat.

He had students, protégés, and flings. The women had all seen Ted without the mask. Question had seen pictures of Ted and heard his voice yet the image that clicks into place when he often comes to irregularly thinking of Ted Grant, is the look on his dead face. The man had the look of knowing he would die yet he still made some effort to fight it off. Grant had finally given the appearance of throwing away his misgivings about his role in the League yet something happen, that something led to his death.

Question believes Joe Martin has an answer for this. Of all the former Legion members, Atomic Skull was the least active, as if suggestive that he might have been trying to make a break from a life of crime, but few criminals and villains ever truly accomplish this feat. Several in Arkham are prime examples of this revert tendency. Of course, not all go to Arkham for that in itself requires proof of criminal insanity and many of its revolving door regulars fit that characterization, some more than others. Words can be so imprecise even looking to distinguish sane from insane.

Martin keys the door to the brownstone where he had been living after fading below the radar in the wake of the fourth Apokolipitian Incursion. He carries a light grocery shopping load and wears what looks like janitor work clothes. His attire validates the probability that he no longer pursues criminal activities, but then no way to be sure. It is not that Question had come expect the worst especially from criminals and super villains yet so far most of the attacks, successful or not, were being carried out by costumed super villains.

Question enters Martin's apartment by means of the fire escape window access and shuts it once he is inside. It would rank as careless to leave a window unlocked no matter the circumstances, but then paranoia often brings about the best or the worst in anyone. Martin had no reason to expect anyone to be after him. The apartment door creaks open after Martin keys it and once through the doorway Martin kicks it back into place by pushing it hard with the heel of his boot. He enters the kitchen and then Question flips the light switch.

Martin drops the bag on the table then turns around with his fists in the air.

"Relax Martin, I am not here for whatever reason you think I am," says Question.

"I am not doing crime stuff anymore. I wish your kind would stop messing with me," snaps Martin.

"What do you mean by that?" asks Question.

"I thought your clubhouse was so tight that you know what I mean."

"Then explain it for me if you care to do so."

"I want you out of my place before I call the police about a trespasser!"

"Why were you visiting Ted Grant's grave?"

"I fought him a few times in Metabrawl almost two years ago, so what?"

"There's more to it than that so keep telling."

"I said enough already… you work out the rest."

"You saw him before he died didn't you?"

"Heh, he broke into my place the same as you did except with less finesse, like he had never done it before, but of course I heard him."

Martin lowers his fists and sits down in a chair. His breathing is heavier than one would expect for someone who used to fight quite frequently for an income. He pulls out of a capsule case from his jacket and takes some pills from it. Question wouldn't ask what they were for because Martin would probably tell him before the conversation is over.

"He was never that sloppy in the ring, but of course he did look a bit broken down about something. Something he found out had him scared to death. I never really saw one of your types cry their eyes."

"Did he say anything at all?"

* * *

**Three Months Earlier**

"_**You are probably bugging out that somebody broke into your place and that it is me of all people. I couldn't believe what I read or saw in those files. I already know this world is a mess that we can never fully do something about, but still we have to be there to find what the heck is worth saving when it starts falling to pieces repeatedly."**_

_Wildcat pulls down his mask. Ted Grant's eyes are nearly blood shoot from crying and tears._

_There is no more Atomic Skull. There is only Joe Martin. He is a janitor on borrowed time._

" _**No matter how close everyone else in the world can drag it towards destruction, we still have to save it, not always sure what for or why we should, but the need is there… either we do something or do nothing. Can't do everything."**_

_Martin is motionless, half dressed, and in bed. _

_Grant plops into the chair next to the bed._

"_**A strange thing is taking hold again. It is coming for me, for you, for everyone on that list, and this time I don't think there's going to be anyone left to stop it. Like the final round, but no K.O. I mean look at me dumping this on you, one of those so-called villains or rivals I fought in the ring."**_

_Martin eases up yet remains wary of Grant's intentions. He takes pills from his capsule case._

_Grant wipes his eyes on his costume sleeve and notes Martin taking the pills._

"_**You and the rest of them are the closest thing I have to friends. Sure I am close to the girls I trained, but I am just tired of being caught in the mix of this business and what it holds over attempts at living."**_

_Grant gets to his feet, pulls his mask back on, and disappears out of the window. Martin climbs out of bed, locks the window, bolts the door to the apartment, sticks some folding chairs against other doors, and goes into the bathroom looking for sleeping pills. He sought to sleep like a log even though his anxiety had almost gotten to him while Grant was spilling to him about something big. He would try to block it out for weeks. When he saw the headline about a homicide involving a former boxer that looked exactly like the unmasked Wildcat that broke into his apartment, he went to where they said he would be buried after the weather improved enough to dig the earth.

* * *

_

"So he knew something except whoever it was got to him before he could tell anyone except perhaps in shock he had come here and babbled something to you that made almost no sense. Validates suspicions about this quiet conspiracy against the costumes, but the details are still unclear," comments Question.

Martin takes more pills and gulps down water from the tap.

"I told you everything… hey… why you going into my medicine cabinet!" grumbles Martin.

"Ah, Cale Pharmaceuticals, as in Veronica Cale?" remarks Question.

"So what… the company's insurance plan covers my health expenses and they have a policy with Cale so that's where I get my medications and pills from," retorts Martin.

"Have to keep that in mind. Be careful Martin, he said you were on the list too," responds Question.

"You got what you came for?" queries Martin.

"For now," replies Question.

Martin goes to check the door locks and by the time he makes it back to the fire escape window Question is already gone from his place. He had to wonder was getting away from being Atomic Skull worth being stuck to these medications and pills for the rest of his life, however long that is from here. He decides instead to close down for the night and get some sleep. One too many visits from costumes since trying to put Skull behind him were tiresome.

* * *

"First Lexcorp, then Kord Industries, and now Cale Pharmaceuticals are somehow caught up in this. So how long until Wayne Enterprises gets snared or maybe it already has by framing Bruce for murder?" mumbles Question.

He made up a display board in his Hub City apartment. The last time he made one was during the conflict between Cadmus and the League. Notions of intelligence, rationale, and sanity will not save the world. Plenty possessing anyone or all of those qualities have usually been responsible for acts of destruction that could lead to annihilation. Question realizes those same qualities didn't prevent him from driving at what he did during the height of the Cadmus-League conflict. Superman had found in hindsight that the League by design is walking the line between humility and hubris. Both organizations saw themselves in the 'right', but both did things 'wrong'.

Cadmus had Doomsday, Galatea, Task Force X, the Ultimen, and the Ultimen army as living weapons meant to counteract what they saw as a global threat brought on by the Justice League. Each in turn had proven to be a challenge as the first two were mentally unstable clones of the only two Kryptonians on Earth whereas the other two were put together with different operating imperatives. Doomsday is shut away in the Phantom Zone, Galatea took a direct surge of fusion energy when Supergirl hit her with the power relay from the Watchtower's Fusion Core yet both had come close to killing their intended victims. As for Task Force X, it is disbanded supposedly and the Ultimen outlived their usefulness even as an army of clones.

The Justice League kept the Watchtower II's Binary Fusion Gun a secret as its power source is the same energy that powers the Watchtower II and its satellites. The League also brought together an expanded roster that was more than six times larger than the first roster's numbers. Superman had the going rogue incident hanging over his head since the brainwashing by Darkseid. Batman had a less than stellar reputation with the GCPD at times. The most glaring of all was what happen with the former Hawkgirl, with Shayera Hol, as she had been a double agent, and much of her given history was largely a fabrication.

The backlash of her involvement with the Thanagarian Occupation would no more dissipate from memory then Superman's rogue incident. They would all remain in the shadow of the Justice Lords even with the passing of the tensions between Cadmus and the League. This is not news to Question as he had seen much of this with the exception of the Justice Lords from the start of his involvement with the League, but his suspicions about the Lords had begun from the discovery of the classified prison security footage.

He had to wonder if this new threat bears any connection to what happen with Cadmus especially with Lord being very proactive at least in the corporate sector is certainly a red flag. There is also the question of who will replace the late Ted Kord as the CEO of Kord Industries. One candidate is Jamie Reyes and another is Damon Dreiser. Reyes is seen as the problem solver behind the scenes at Kord Industries whereas Dreiser is the head of the company's R&D department. The 'jury' is still out on the decision, but then Kord's murder only happen less than two weeks ago. However the corporate wheels don't stop turning when somebody dies by illness or murder.

There is also a matter of who might replace Kord as Blue Beetle though that as some would say is up to the scarab. Ted Kord did not deserve the death he got, but then the same could be said for Ted Grant. Rarely do some try to befriend Question and those that do discover at least two things about him immediately. He is full of surprises yet something about him compels one to trust him. He never really got along with Grant though after what happen with Cadmus, Grant went back on calling him and Huntress nut jobs. His new way of referring to them was still abrasive yet true to form.

* * *

"_You two keep each other sane. Separately you do really insane stuff, but maybe that's love. Personally I wouldn't know because I only loved a woman once and that was a long time ago."

* * *

_

He didn't like Ted Grant, but he could respect him on some level. As for Ted Kord, the man's only mistake could be he trusted too easily in this line of work, but again perspective on trust is relative for Question. He trusts, but there are few he trusts almost completely. He wonders if he ever trusts anyone completely and only maybe in that category is Helena. His feelings for her, which constitutes his love for her implies that he does trust her, but trust without 'limits' is not something he gives freely and he knows he does not have it from others either. He believes that Helena trusts him, but then they were both out to keep each other from dying when the other is in mortal danger.

Helena as Huntress went with Nightshade to the defunct psychiatric hospital in Maine. The very same where Lucas Eden had been a resident in until his purported suicide eight years ago. Nightshade or rather Eve Eden claims that he is not dead given that she has been sensing his magical 'footprint' repeatedly in recent months plus she had found traces of his presence during her last visit to the hospital. She also claims that all is not as it appears there too, which meant somebody had to go with her to verify her claims. Both Question and Huntress agreed that Huntress should go with her so he sits here in his apartment waiting for a reassuring cell phone call from her though he is not about to dwell on her safety again.

* * *

Huntress tries to refraining from shivering, but it is much cooler in rural Maine then it is in say urban Hub City. Her heart tugs at the thought that particular city because he is back there doing who knows what without her. She made a promise of sorts to never allow him to go any conspiracy chases without her to look after him, but of course this new thing meant splitting up into teams and she agreed to work with Nightshade for this part of the search. The 'vacant' hospital looks the part yet she could expect no less if whoever had run this place wants it to look convincing this many years later. Nightshade teleports herself and Huntress inside into what appears to be the central structure.

Helena through Huntress recognizes that Nightshade is a way for Eve to bury feelings and thoughts about what happen between her and her twin though not even a mask could hide everything. She would leave it to Eve as to when to come out from behind Nightshade in revealing herself fully yet that means becoming truly vulnerable. Helena however could grasp why Eve stays behind Nightshade even though it is Eve driving Nightshade to seek out Lucas or whatever alias he answers to now.

The set, the scenes, and the props all shown signs of disuse, dust, and decay, but it could all be an act all the same. Nightshade teleports them inside and all the more it looks just as Nightshade had told them from her last trip here. Huntress turns on her wrist light, which is like a flashlight except for being on a wrist with not one light source, but two. Very little of the surfaces are reflective between the dust and the aging of the furniture, the floors, and the fabric of the curtains. Nightshade leads the way to what she remembers being where she thought her 'father' would take her to see her brother when they took a weekend or holiday to visit him.

The trips had become more and more infrequent as she got older especially with her 'father's' political reputation, but leave it to someone like him to show more concern for his political standing then the twins that his wife, their mother, had left in his charge. She held little affection for him anymore and that much more anguish for not believing Lucas when they were younger. Eve's emotional and psychological ties to this place made it appear that much more disheartening and disturbing to Helena despite having the look of Huntress to shield her from some of it. Helena couldn't imagine a more saddening existence then to have a sibling, let alone a twin left in a place like this.

It must have hurt him more when she did not belief or share what he felt and thought to be the truth about what happen to their mother. Huntress looks back when hearing Nightshade speak for the first time since they had come inside.

"Some times I could never tell where many of my nightmares kept coming from after our mother's death, but I only had to look to or think of him to realize the nightmares were his though they could also have been memories of mine too," confesses Nightshade.

"Nightmares often have ways to express that which we are afraid of or we don't wish to face, but I doubt Lucas would willingly make you see these things through his eyes. Perhaps he was only trying to get you see what you already saw," comments Huntress.

"He always would look rather well when I saw him, but then it could have easily been drugs doing that to him. If he were suddenly cut off from what they kept him on all those years it could at least give me a sense of where to look for him, that is if he wants to be found," sighs Nightshade.

"You're his twin sister, I don't think he would resent you after all this time," continues Huntress.

"You have far more optimism then I have had in a long time, but I would love to believe you could be right about that except experience has taught me otherwise."

Huntress continues walking with the knowledge that Nightshade perhaps feels immense guilt for not believing her brother when they were younger, but then having seen her parents' murder firsthand from behind a closet door is different. Different by circumstance for certain, but someone had been responsible for what did kill their mother and it is for certain not an earthly based illness that eventually took her life, but Lawrence Schneider would validate no other explanation then a terminal illness. Schneider is either one for denials or he did not want it known that his wife was from another dimension and by extension his children are not actually his as well as being _Homo Magi_ like their mother.

Nightshade relates how her earliest encounters with Captain Atom made her rethink what she thought of as the truth about what happen to her dead mother and her absent brother. She realizes that she kept behaving like she believed her stepfather because he was the only 'family' left in her life after her brother 'killed' himself or she was told eight years ago. When she finally took up being Nightshade almost entirely, she rarely saw her stepfather again. It was from then onward that she began to grasp what loneliness meant yet finding traces of her brother's magical 'footprint' sent her into a spin though she would not entirely trust in the possibility that he might not be dead just to keep her hopes down.

She had little faith in humanity except for those like Atom, Batman, Huntress, and Question.

Her stepfather and others like him made it difficult not to be cynical.

The briefings she had prior to almost assignment to Task Force X only challenge her further.

Eve learns about of the Vegas Situation (as Cadmus would call it later). Joker's bombs were a diversion in order for him to use Ace against whoever was watching the Justice League's attempt to disarm all the bombs. Not all the bombs were duds as proven by the one that nearly killed Green Lantern and might have done harm to Hawkgirl if not for Lantern blasting her clear with his ring. Joker had put four out five in field against a hero with similar abilities to their own or at least stood a chance against them.

* * *

She like millions of others would see and hear about the Royal Flush Gang's past. All seem to enjoy what they were and even more so like working for Joker. There was one exception however when Joker's tale on the origins of the Gang turns to the silent girl in the studio with him.

The other four were much older by the time Cadmus had found them, but she was the exception. This hit Eve the hardest because there across the screen sat a girl with immense telekinetic and telepathic powers yet she looks beyond emotion except in her eyes. The eyes are indescribable aside from sensing loneliness above all else. There were other emotions, feelings, and thoughts going on behind those eyes, but Eve could only stare back at them without knowing what or why she was staring still. The story that Joker would relate is much more than unsettling. The more she heard the less she wants to know about the girl though she cannot turn away, she had already done that with Lucas.

As an infant, 'Ace' had unknowingly put her parents into a comatose state. As a toddler she was taken from her home, they kept her powers in check with technology specifically made to counteract her Meta abilities and from there had her childhood been stolen from her.

Eve would see it that way while Nightshade at the time had to remain 'loyal' to Cadmus, but the more she found out about what they were doing and what they were doing it for, the more she wanted to just leave it all behind. Cadmus was not the first, but certainly not the last to engineer or search for metahumans to 'serve' as living weapons for 'justice'.

Eve didn't know whether to laugh at the ridiculousness of that claim or cry for the little girl who never got to be a little girl.

"I'm sure that you have heard of the Royal Flush Gang and one of them in particular. The one Joker referred to as Ace," says Nightshade.

"The playing cards theme, the bombs, and of course another Batman versus Joker encounter. However Joker lost his leverage with Batman pulling the headband out of Joker's jacket. After that nobody had seen her since then," remarks Huntress.

"My stepfather had no apparent misgivings about them using children or even me for that matter. I suppose I could have said no, but then I always had a hard time saying no to him. At least until I chose to consider that my brother was right about Mom," murmurs Nightshade.

"You talking about Cadmus?" comments Huntress.

"Yes, once I read over much of what went on prior to my reassignment to Task Force X. I left it behind and nobody could stop me with the 'public' face of government breathing down on them."

"I had my own problems with Cadmus. I don't care to rehash though they almost took from me the only thing that had given my life meaning again."

"I saw the security recordings from when you and Superman broke in to bust Question out of there. I saw how Superman and Atom fought almost to the death. In your place I would have done the same."

"Guess we aren't all that different after all."

"No, but you have him, he has you. As for me, there is still the search for my brother and whatever awaits me when I find him again. You also don't know what it means to be used as a living weapon."

"What about you and Atom?"

"He still grieves for Betty. My feelings for him, for _Nathan_, belong to time before all this happen to him or me. I'd like to believe we might know love as you and Question do, but I doubt it."

"Don't count out on love."

"If love meant all the things that make me sad could weigh less then the few things that could make me happy then I would believe in it again, but right I don't know what to believe."

She didn't have an answer, she could get grasps of something, but likewise she felt too close to be objective about it. Those like herself, her brother, and the one now known only as Ace evoke an inescapable floodgate of emotions. She sniffles as she catches herself crying behind her mask again and feels Huntress' hand on her shoulder. The lenses can't disguise everything from everyone yet if anyone could begin to grasp the way everything else from her past had taken hold onto her, it could be the one called Huntress yet she also hopes she can have something more with Atom someday.

Nightshade had heard the rationale. She was aware of the Superman rogue incident, but the Justice Lords incident was a need to know element. Of course she found out about it later, but even so that they would never justify the means or the ends of Cadmus. She would never trust anyone who believes living weapons are necessary, but then she had grown up in a world remade from the splitting of the atom. The use of non-living weapons had been with humanity forever yet living weapons sharpen consequences even further.

A living weapon bears little distinction from a non-living one except now the weapon is also an actual entity with thoughts, with feelings, but still they do all they can to ensure that the weapon will follow orders. Of course many of them did except by making them or having them as living weapons, it brings on consequences that are far more personal for the living weapon. However the handlers don't realistically give a damn except when they need the weapon to do something that is presumably far more precise then the so-called conventional weapons of the past.

* * *

_He or she can do it, but why would they, what would make them, and how could they live with being the way they are, being used for that same way too?

* * *

_

The tiling although fading still shows patches of its original color, which is an alternating pattern of black and white. The hospital smell of the wallpaper likewise lingers, but it perhaps more memory potent for Eve, than for Nightshade. It is not a place for the criminally insane though it had long since kept its share of emotionally disturbed including Lucas Eden who while a resident likely had to answer only to his false surname despite doctor-patient confidentiality. Nightshade told this much from what little she could find of files from the administrator's office.

Together they pass the visiting area where there are broken two way windows. Nightshade presses her fingertips against one in particular. This one is likely the very same she would probably see her brother though when she had come here to see him. There is no urgency to hurry yet to hang around here too long would help little except to remind what happen here, what is still happening here for some more than others. The women leave this area and go in the direction of what were once the residents' hallways. Huntress thought there nothing else could scare her except her last run in with Scarecrow weeks ago, being in a psychiatric hospital is starting to bother her mentally yet she had to face her fears, not let them get the best of her.

She mentally wants to be done with this hospital already, but she had come with Nightshade to this place because Nightshade believes it would lead her to her brother even though she had been here before as Eve and as Nightshade. The further in she follows Nightshade, the more she wants to turn back, but she had come this far, so she could either press on or fall back though in the case of the latter she did not know the way back. Question often told her it is not in, not out, but through, so she would have to trust in his advice to see her through this experience.

"Believe me, I am more ill at ease with this place then you are Huntress. It is bereaving to be walking these hallways again, to bask in the wards that I left him in, to register all the lives that this place had sway over," murmurs Nightshade.

"So what exactly are we looking for now?" asks Huntress.

"Anywhere that they might have kept records otherwise I have come all this way for another dead end. This stairwell will lead us to the Administrator's Office."

"You know the way."

The floorboards groan as they ascend so some effort is made for stealth despite the assumption that they are alone. They start to near the Administrator's Office and the name on the door is almost too faded to read except Nightshade does something to it to briefly cause it to become fully readable after all this time. The name on the door is unfamiliar to both even though Eve obviously met this woman on several occasions during her visits here with her stepfather. The administrator was Doctor Lilith Andrews.

Huntress is about to make a lock pick except Nightshade unlocks with a hand gesture.

"Showoff," chuckles Huntress.

"It's magic," insists Nightshade.

The office looks like the rest of what they have seen so far. The desktop is dusty even under the drop cloths and the furniture looks worn for the years. There are almost no signs that a Dr. Lilith Andrews ever kept this office. There are empty file folders in the filing cabinets and nobody put locks on the cabinets. If the cabinets are empty maybe there was not a point to wasting money for locks though at one time the cabinets did have locking mechanisms. The locks were likely there when the facility was still publically active yet not now.

"Starting to look like a dead end," comments Huntress.

"My thoughts exactly, but I still want to check out the lower levels," remarks Nightshade.

"What do you mean lower levels?" queries Huntress.

"This hospital is not entirely aboveground. It never was, but then I did not know that as a teenager."

"So how do we go 'downstairs' then?"

Nightshade leans against the far wall and it turns inward revealing that the wall is not all that it appears to be though this is almost unsurprising to Huntress. They follow the winding stairwell to the sublevel and it looks almost the opposite of the aboveground sections of the hospital. There are at least four or five operating rooms down here. Another two rooms with psychological conditioning equipment and several sparsely decorated recovery rooms.

"It looks like somebody has been down here more recently then up there," says Huntress.

"I would say you are probably right, but whatever they were doing down here. It looks almost as abandoned as the aboveground sections except it is cleaner, which suggests they were here until recently," says Nightshade.

"I guess we are done here then unless you have someway of tracking your brother from all that we have seen so far," replies Huntress.

"He was not down here. Whether a Homo Magi tries it or not, there is always some hint of our passage wherever we go, and right now even I am leaving one here so if he were ever here again then he knows I was as well," remarks Nightshade.

"Do you remember where his regular room was aboveground?" asks Huntress.

"Yes I have been there and it was there that my search for him had begun indirectly as it had proven to me that he was not physically dead though emotionally and psychologically is another story."

Nightshade starts walking towards one of the psychological conditioning rooms and notes this is where they kept Carter Hall before he went on to join the intricate diversion from several nights prior in Gotham. She makes this assertion from the flood of imagery she is seeing from tactile contact with the door and the chair that he been latched onto for hours at a time. Nightshade goes to the other room's door and sees someone else that whose face she cannot see because the lights were always kept dim in this room. The underground sections were clearly the source of many recent troubles yet Huntress had to wonder if this was the cause of Ted Grant's murder or was there more to it then that is something tumbling around her mind.

"Is there anyway for us to prove anything about what happen down here?" probes Huntress.

"Whatever was used to record these procedures is no longer down here," answers Nightshade.

"Another dead end," murmurs Huntress.

"At least we know," continues Nightshade.

* * *

They return to the aboveground by the same way that they had come down below. Huntress pulls Nightshade down to the floor after hearing footfalls that were distinctly not theirs. Someone else is in here.

"How much longer until he is ready for the bonding process?"

"It took long enough to duplicate the method used to turn Captain Adams."

"So are we talking days or weeks?"

"A few more days and we'll be ready."

"Time to make no one finds anything of use here."

"Believe me Mr. Lord; this place won't be missed in the least."

"Good to know Dr. Magnus, remind me to thank your lovely lady for the medical equipment."

"I'm certain she'll be glad for it. This joint venture has been rewarding to say the least."

"Glad to hear you say that, we best be going… so teleport us out Wraith."

A third set of foot falls is audible yet the door never moves at all. Nightshade however realizes who is now among of them.

"Whenever you are ready I shall take you where you need to go," says Wraith.

Wraith prepares to teleport himself, Dr. Magnus, and Lord out of the seemingly empty office except when he reaches out mentally to begin the attempt his mind briefly touches Nightshade's mind.

"_Could I have finally found you again?"_

"_They told me you were dead."_

"_I am alive though you best not keep them waiting."_

"_The things I have done… there's much to talk about…"_

"_It'll have to wait a little longer… you must go."_

"_I will not…"_

"_I worry more for your safety than mine right now!"_

"_Forgive me… I will contact you somehow."_

Wraith finishes the teleport if the barely audible whooshing sound is any indication.

"Nightshade…Nightshade…"

Nightshade lies motionless on the floor.

"Answer me already!"

Nightshade snaps out of the trance like state. Huntress pulls Nightshade to her feet and so they decide it is time to leave at least the walls of this almost forgotten madhouse behind them. Nightshade teleports herself and Huntress back outside. The nearest town from here is Bar Harbor where Arrow and Canary are staying for the weekend, but no way to call them from here since they are out of range for the cell phone network's tower.

Both women turn around at the sound of an explosion. The hospital had gone up in flames and their departure had apparently been well timed.

"So who is Wraith?" asks Huntress.

"Lucas," answers Nightshade.

"You sure?" continues Huntress.

"It felt like him," remarks Nightshade.

"Where did he take them?"

"No way to know because the explosion left nothing to examine for a magical trace."

"Guess we better going to Bar Harbor and get the boys up here for a chat."

* * *

Question finds Atom among the ruins of the chamber where Captain Adams went through the bonding process that remade him into Captain Atom. He holds the pocket watch given to him by Betty. Question could not fathom what must be running through Atom's thoughts right now though there are clues from him being here and the pocket watch seems indicative that is about his life before Atom or at the very least about Betty's death. The League had been able to capture almost all who took part in the hostage situation involving Batman and Superman.

Conduit and Zoom remain at large.

Atom is quick to note Question's appearance.

"I should not have let her come with me that night," says Atom.

"Hindsight is not going to help you. She's dead," reminds Question.

"I get that Question, but if it were you… would you leave Helena to die?"

"Do you really think you have to ask me that?"

"Your reaction is telling enough."

"I rather die then let her die. The only catch is if I die, she would never forgive herself for not doing something to prevent it!"

"I know Betty made Nightshade take me out the blast area because of this damn suit!"

"You have done much good as both Captain Adams and Captain Atom. You can't save everyone no matter how much it bothers and hurts you to have someone you love die."

"How much can any of us lose before we lose everything that matters?"

"That is a question I have no answers for… just memories of what did happen and what I was afraid would happen… surely you have the same in mind too."

Atom shows Question more old photos of Nathaniel Adams and Betty Sans Souci. Not everyone perceives memory through time and some always view it outside of time including Captain Atom. Conversations between them always gravitate towards everything they went without or had given up on having at all. Question usually never felt like he was really a friend to anyone though he could imagine plenty disagreeing with him including Huntress. She had this way of bringing out parts of him that he rarely would find much use for at least until he met her. He recognizes what is troubling Atom, but does not know what to tell him.

Atom drops all the photos except one, which was taken on the first date at a carnival. He flies upward towards the moon and Question gathers the photos from the ground then slides them into his trench coat. He would get them back to Atom somehow, but for now, maybe Atom needs to be alone. Question returns to his car.

* * *

He finds an envelope between the windshield and the wipers of the Pontiac. It is Martin leaving some kind of a calling card, but given how Martin reacted to his unannounced visit there is no way to be sure what this means except he claims to found out something about his current employers.

He gets into the car and heads over to his nearest hidden garage. Once there he pulls his new laptop out of a lockbox in the car's trunk. The logo on Martin's stationary is the same as the uniform so he cross references in an attempt to determine what company employs Martin. The logo search reveals it to be Twilight Corporation so he decides to hack his way into the personnel files, which did seem a bit hard for an ordinary multi-venture corporation. He finds Martin's file along with dozens of others inside a highly classified personnel directory.

He had also found out that KGBeast was part of the security staff at Twilight's facility near Oliver Queen's penthouse on the West Coast. Likewise Floyd Lawton was working for a vehicle maintenance garage that is a subsidiary of Twilight Corp. Lawton had broken into one of Question's garages to plant the transducer, which did do the trick except Question barely got warning out to Dinah in time to save Huntress from the blast.

Research into backgrounds of Conduit and Zoom reveal less than surprising results. Conduit went to high school with Clark Kent. As for Zoom, he used to work at the same crime lab where Wally West still works to this day. Both likely held grudges against the alter egos of Superman and the Flash respectively, which made them prime candidates to divide and conquer the Founders. The same applies to Sinestro, Cheetah, and Hush. Four out of them are still out there.

Carol Marcus was an employee of Omega Energies, which is also a subsidiary of Twilight that had bought huge portions of the power plant sectors on the West Coast. This is how Marcus was able to infiltrate Queen's penthouse as a technician for Omega when they were doing power line 'upgrades' during the winter of the previous year just prior to KGBeast's attempt to kill Barbara, Oliver, Dinah, and Helena.

Twice he felt he had put Helena in an untenable position. The first was during the beginnings of their relationship when he tried to kill Luthor only to end up in the grips of Dr. Moon's neural stimulator, which remains the source of some of his nightmares. In nightmares all the 'choices' are the wrong ones, which is unnerving for a man accustom to the idea of being usually right.

The number of criminals and former criminals working for Twilight is curious so he would have to pose that query to Martin to see if he had seen any of them, but then Twilight never had too many of them working in the same place. The next catch is how did Grant find out about Twilight's hiring practices or its true owner presumably Maxwell Lord. The latest tangent comes to a close; he deletes everything, and heads off for Martin's apartment. His return to Hub City would have to wait and he realizes he is breaking a promise to Huntress, to Helena, by investigating further into this Twilight business without her.

* * *

The window on the fire escape is open, which is odd. Question ascends to the open window by climbing the fire escape and once inside for the second time in less then three days, he takes notice that the lights are off. Martin is sitting upright facing away from him in the dark. Question closes the distance and is about to ask him about why he went asking for a meeting tonight after what happen the other night. There is not even the sound of Martin breathing and that is when he sees a dark black tie around Martin's neck.

Joe Martin, once Atomic Skull, is now dead by strangulation and Question is in the apartment of a dead man.

"_We know you are in there Question!"_

Question attempts to go back to the window except he sees a whole detail of armed operatives at street level. They had been waiting to ambush him, but for what purpose remain unclear. He had to get away; his conclusions had to be known to the others though first priority escape capture. The door to the apartment would be the only way out besides the window so he takes off that way, but coming up the stairs are more operatives. He turns around then dashes down the hallway looking for a way up to the roof yet once up there he finds he is again cut off.

"I rather not order them to use any force necessary to detain you so give yourself up!"

"Not in the plan tonight so I'll be leaving now!"

"Have it your way!"

The operatives pile onto him and their leader pulls out an aerosol canister similar to the one he uses to remove his mask.

"Time to unmask the Question," says the leader.

Question struggles, but it is of no use now. He feels a prickling sensation in this neck.

_Some kind of a sedative must resist it._

"Destroy all his communication equipment."

He can hear a boot crunching his earpiece comlink. He also hears somebody chucking his cell phone.

"Take him away. There are still others to deal with before the plan goes forward."

* * *

A/N 1: Joe Martin plays a role similar to Edgar Jacobi. Martin tells Question about the last time he saw Grant and also provides the clue to how so many attempts against costumes were made possible. As for how Martin dies, it was a setup to implicate Question.

A/N 2: Cale Pharmaceuticals belongs to Veronica Cale who apparently has been secretly attached to a joint venture with Lexcorp through Lord. Implications that Lord is putting together his own team is apparent and plans to forge a counterpart to Captain Atom is underway.

A/N 3: Nightshade's brother appears and is working for Lord, at least for the moment.

A/N 4: Ace's mention in this chapter ties into how Nightshade views what happen to various costumes including Atom, her brother, and to some extent herself.

A/N 5: Atom is behaving similarly to Dr. Manhattan in his behavior since Betty's death. Little of Earth holds any pull for him to stay except potentially Nightshade.


	26. Blackouts

Only mere hours after Question's 'disappearance', there is a further twist as several cities across the globe inexplicably go dark as electromagnetic pulses cripple power grids without warning. The energy signature from the blast is alarmingly similar to the energy and radiation frequencies that Captain Atom is able to tap into due to his powers. However only the Watchtower in orbit is able to discern this signature yet as to whether or not to reveal this knowledge to anyone else is preying on the Founders' minds, whether they are on the Watchtower or not.

Superman is still recovering from his exposure to the heavily concentrated liquid Kryptonite.

Bruce Wayne is under house arrest for the duration of the murder trials.

Diana, J'onn, Wally, Shayera, and John assemble at the Metro Tower as it falls within the radius of one of the EMP blasts. The situation warrants an Omega Level Alert as it is an international situation that involves millions of lives worldwide. Teams go deployment across the globe further dividing the roster. It is one of the functions that League must always undertake, but the blasts for some bring backs memories of the Binary Fusion Gun and inquiries into whether or not it is really gone.

Green Arrow and Black Canary are told to return to the Metro Tower by the Founders. Terrific beams them up along with Huntress and Nightshade. Huntress and Nightshade are told to step off the pad as Zatanna, Vixen, and Doctor Light step up to join Arrow and Canary on the teleport down to the Metro Tower. Aquaman, A.M.A.Z.O., and Fate would be joining them after departing Fate's Tower.

The four did not like the idea of splitting up at the time like this, but orders were orders in the League.

Huntress and Nightshade are about to return to the teleport pad yet someone is teleporting in as they approach it. Diana leading the active Founders materializes on the pad and then they head towards the Monitor Hub where there is an incoming message from Capitol Hill of all places to be contacting them now. Huntress and Nightshade change direction so they might over hear the conversation between Wonder Woman and the Capitol Hill contact. They do their best to remain out of sight and unheard yet Nightshade shows signs of recognition at just the voice of the contact.

It is Senator Lawrence Schneider, but Nightshade is not about to tell Huntress this tidbit, not yet anyway.

"_**On behalf of the President and by Congress' mandate, I am ordering the Founders to appear before the Committee in regards to this global crisis that I am told is electromagnetic in origin. I further request that Captain Atom join the seven of you in this appearance. As for those of you who value your masked secrecy, you will appear without your masks. There is also a requirement of proof that you have not put the Binary Fusion Gun back together,"**_ _says Schneider._

"Senator, you have our word that those of who can appear will be there. Superman is currently unable to make an appearance as he is recovering from overexposure to liquid Kryptonite during a mission involving several Arkham Asylum residents who were working with Joker," says Diana.

They were telling the truth about Superman's condition, but J'onn realizes he will have to lie in a sense to safeguard Batman and more so his alter-ego.

"Batman is currently busy overseeing the residents' return to Arkham. I will make sure Captain Atom is made aware of this request as he is currently away from the solar system on a mission," continues J'onn.

"_**It will still be necessary for Superman, Batman, and Atom to make an appearance. We make an allowance on Superman's part and as for Batman, once free from the Arkham situation, he must appear with due diligence. As for the governments worldwide, they are open to receiving League help."**_

"Understood Senator, we will be departing for your location shortly."

"_**We also want any available information you have on the blasts given that the Watchtower is reputed to have some of the most advanced scientific equipment and technology on the market."**_

"We will bring what we have on the blasts as well."

"_**Then the Committee shall be seeing you all shortly,"**__ concludes Schneider._

The five head off in the direction of the Javelin Hangar Bays as the teleporters will be more important to regulate movement of roster personnel aboard the Watchtower. It is a rather widespread yet not quite random EMP induced series of blackouts across the globe. Huntress and Nightshade enter the Hub after the Founders' departure even though Huntress felt a nudge to warn them that it might be trap, but then they had to play along to some degree while leaving up to others to handle and investigate the situation.

At least one of Twilight Corporation's subsidiaries is present in each blacked out city, but then this coincidence is not lost on Huntress. However the signature from the blast is consistent with the energy readings from Captain Atom, but it is literally impossible for one radiation regulator to be in dozens of cities simultaneously, regardless of how fast Atom or someone like Atom could fly. The blasts happen simultaneously, which implies they were set through a link system. In an age of instantaneous connections through cyberspace, it would be all too easy to program a cascade function to trigger multiple detonations worldwide.

The what is a series of EMP blasts, the where is all across the planet, and the when is tonight, but there is still the question of who did this and why did they do it. The latter automatically trips the word distraction in Huntress' brain.

_Even when you are not around, things I do in my head make me think of you Vic. Where are you?_

"You are thinking about him aren't you?" sighs Nightshade.

"You reading my mind?" responds Huntress.

"No, it is just the way you are almost biting your lower lip and the glimmer in your eyes. He must be truly someone special if to give you such pause," continues Nightshade.

"More than words could say so any ideas on where to start looking?" remarks Huntress.

"Try to pin down where the blackout cascade starts at even though it looks like it happens simultaneously, that doesn't mean all begin at exactly the same minute or second."

"We are going to need someone who is more knowledgeable in this field than either of us."

"Maybe we should ask Palmer. He's a science whiz to say the least about him."

"The Atom is already city hopping to help speed up power restoration," interjects Terrific.

"So you have any suggestions Terrific?" asks Huntress.

"I would suggest Jamie Reyes. He's said to be the closest thing that Kord Industries has in terms of a super genius," recommends Terrific.

"Where is he?" asks Nightshade.

"Either his office in Manhattan or his suburban residence in Charlton. "

"I'll take Manhattan. You take Charlton."

Mister Terrific transports Huntress to the rooftops nearest to the Manhattan office. Next he beams Nightshade to the outskirts of Charlton. Both know what to do when they find Reyes, which means the other beams to Reyes' location or somewhere close to it. Both realize splitting up puts them at risk, but they have not the time to search the locations together.

* * *

The Kord Industries logo is visible from Huntress' hiding place. She had come ready to infiltrate the corporate tower. She shoots off a titanium wire strong enough to hold twice her weight considering she might have to remove Reyes from this building against his will, but she really does not want it coming to that possibility if she can avoid it. She grips the slider and propels herself across the gap between this rooftop and the helipad rooftop above the KI executive offices. Once across she ducks out sight upon noting the guards patrolling the roof except they look more like military personnel then corporate security. Kord from the outset of the ITC had shown no interest in working with Lexcorp despite the change in corporate officers.

Lex Luthor might be absent from the scene now, but the company is still Lexcorp and Kord had no cause to trust Maxwell Lord either. It was general knowledge among the expanded roster as to the extent of Lord's involvement with the Ultimen despite the outward appearance of being a mere management figure. Lord still remains a prime suspect in the attacks against the costumes in recent months especially given his apparent renegade Illuminatus status. It is curious that the Illuminati as a whole have not gone after Lord, but who is to say they have not made attempts. Lord was either luckier or smarter than he ever left on during his time with the Ultimen.

Huntress lock picks her way into the nearest stairwell yet does so with as much finesse as she can manage as leaving any trace of her passage would alert security to her presence and it would be best to avoid contact even after finding Reyes. As of now it is hypothetical and dependent on Reyes actually being here in this building. She quietly descends the stairs and makes sure to stay out of the lights or the security cameras' visibility. At the bottom of the stairwell, there is a utility closet and so she slips into a more corporate look. Once out of the closet, she ducks into the nearest office and uses a hacking method that Question had shown her.

The hack allows her to bypass security protocols, but only for awhile. Reyes is not here if she reads the interoffice memos right, but there is also a fair amount of hidden data. Files that not even Reyes appeared to know about and encrypted emails sent by Damon Dreiser. Dreiser is apparently talking to Veronica Cale and Mercy Graves behind Reyes' back. She quickly downloads all she can onto a jump drive then logs out before the hack security bypass fails thus revealing her presence. Huntress switches off the terminal then slides off into the darkness once noting the light coming from the under door.

"Strange, I thought I locked down all the offices," mutters the guard.

The guard walks in and notes an out of place scent. Huntress inwardly curses herself for wearing perfume whilst in costume earlier, but then she had been expecting to spend tonight with Question. They didn't do 'what other couples do on anniversaries', but still they had their patterns, ones that Helena thoroughly enjoys because it is what they do, their 'rituals', how they keep each other sane. Ways to hold onto their humanity in a world that constantly challenges what they believe, feel, but most importantly how they behave in any world they live, as it is never the same world from one second to the next.

"Somebody in here?" calls the guard.

Helena comes out of the darker recesses of the office.

"Mr. Reyes sent me here to copy files for him."

"I'm going to have to call this in because there is nobody on the sign-in list for this office."

"I understand."

The guard picks up the desk phone and dials a number.

* * *

Nightshade teleports herself to the other side of the front door to the house that bears the address that is listed as the one for Jamie Reyes. She ducks away from the front door upon hearing footsteps from outside and the front door lock turns then the door swings open. A man comes inside with several bags as if he had been elsewhere. He plops the bags down, pushes the door shut with his foot, and navigates to a phone nearby without turning on a single light. The man is either very familiar with the layout of the house or he has rather exceptional night vision.

"This is Reyes. What is the matter Braverman?"

"_Sorry to disturb you, but there is a woman in one of the offices here claiming she works for you."_

"Did she tell you her name?"

"_I haven't asked her yet?"_

"Ask then."

Braverman lays the phone receiver against the desk.

"Your name Miss."

"My name is…"

* * *

Nightshade still hidden from Reyes presses her finger against her earpiece comlink to send a quick message to Huntress.

"Tell him Sandra Knight…" whispers Nightshade.

* * *

"Sandra Knight," says Helena.

"Let me just run that by Mr. Reyes," continues Braverman.

"No rush."

It is an uneasy moment and Helena does not enjoy the way Braverman is ogling her.

_You can look, but only one man gets anywhere near touching me.

* * *

_

Nightshade grips Reyes' shoulder and he turns to look at her with confusion.

"Whatever name he tells you. You will tell him that she works for you and that he should let her leave the premises so that she may report to you," insists Nightshade.

"What makes you think I would do that? She could be there for corporate espionage and for that matter how do you know who I am talking to and what the conversation is about even if you have been eavesdropping!" murmurs Reyes.

"Trust me not everyone is acting aboveboard in your company especially not since Ted Kord's murder."

"Further how do you know about that?"

"I am part of an investigation attempting to find who is really responsible, what is their real agenda, and why all this is being done."

"Let's say I believe you… I want proof of your affiliations."

"She can verify so ask to speak to her if you like. If you do ask her the right **Question**…"

"She knows him?"

"She's the closest thing he has to a girlfriend… so anything happens to her and I wouldn't want to be you when he comes asking you about what happen to her."

"Jeez, I get the point…"

Nightshade knows he is sweaty from considering what an encounter with Question would be like for his sanity so he appears to agree to cover Helena's presence at the office.

"_She says she is Sandra Knight," _states Braverman.

"Yes, Sandra is one of mine. She's new, doesn't know the protocols entirely yet, let her finish up and be on her way."

"_Understood, but I am still by procedure to log this as Mr. Dreiser might get curious why no one told him."_

"I believe we can make an exception for Sandra. I will talk to him about."

"_I still have to log it."_

"Then hop to it."

"_Right Mr. Reyes, good night."_

There is a click on the phone indicative that the call is over so Reyes replaces the receiver then pours himself a drink to loosen up. Nightshade can see the way Jamie eyes her, but she doesn't mind too much though he does look kind of cute even with glasses. She settles into one of the chairs in the sitting room and now they wait for Huntress' arrival. The two sit in silence, which in a way is how Nightshade prefers it despite slight curiosity about him being the new Blue Beetle.

* * *

Somebody clearly had given her a way out. It must have been Nightshade thought Huntress. She retrieves her costume, but keeps it hidden in the shoulder bag that previously held the office look that she is wearing at present. The only reason she did trip security coming is the EMP had left Kord Industries on its back up generators, which do not power the locking mechanisms and any other security measures on the outside. The EMP blasts are too coincidental to just happen within hours of Question's arrest/disappearance, he had to be found, but then unlike last time she had neither Batman to consult nor Superman to call upon with a special watch. It made all the difference yet it does not deter from searching for him.

_You don't hide the guilty look as well as you think babydoll, but that is okay, I just feel like I am starting to go out of my mind with all these unknowns including wherever they have taken you._

She exits from the ground floor and walks across the street into a dark alleyway before calling for a teleport to her place. She had no intention of changing without a sense of personal privacy. As for why she had an earpiece comlink now, it is on a temporary basis with the global nature of the power emergency and because Green Arrow made a point of having given to her as well as giving one to Nightshade, also temporary. Once back in costume with the jump drive in one of her utility belt pockets, she calls up for a teleport to Nightshade's location and once more she hears the familiar hum of the teleport beam around her.

The first thing she notices once reappearing in Charlton, specifically on the drive way of Jamie Reyes' cozy one floor house is the distinct lack of a city smell, but then Charlton is not quite even suburban. The sound of her heeled boots tapping against the driveway is audible enough for her to spot Nightshade and Reyes exiting from the front to meet her. She pulls out the drive and hands it to Reyes. The three head inside and go straight to the den where Reyes appears to keep an independent terminal that is not in the network nor does it have internet access.

"You would wonder why I have an isolated computer in my house right?" asks Jamie.

"Probably because you don't want somebody hacking into it," answers Huntress.

"That would be the obvious conclusion," continues Jamie.

"What else is there then?" remarks Huntress.

"It also allows me to work separately from the network and use drives like this without people knowing that I am file digging because if you are on an out-of-network terminal, there are still ways for someone to know you went into certain files because you leave a digital access trace… electronic marker."

"A file 'footprint' or 'fingerprint' then?"

"It would be something like that. I prefer my digital movements to go unseen, which is why Ted always held my security systems assessments and designs in high regards, but then I handle most of the company internal hardware systems."

As Reyes scans through the files and directories, there is a recurring trend of Dreiser actively communicating in secret with various companies including Lexcorp, Cale Pharmaceuticals, and Twilight Corporation for starters.

"Dreiser has been busy since Kord's death. The board is set to vote on the new CEO; rumor is that I and Dreiser are the highest on a short list. Dreiser's backroom actions would definitely knock him off the list, as Kord never did much of anything without the Board knowing about it, and from the looks of it the board has no idea what Dreiser is up to."

"Somebody should tell them… like you."

"It would be a dicey risk because they would trace the breach back to me and to you because I said you work for me… plus I credited your false identity."

"Doing the right thing is always risky Reyes."

"I know… I just didn't think I would end up in the middle of a corporate conspiracy."

"Welcome to my world."

There is a buried sub-directory pertaining to a facility in upstate New York and it is within flying distance of Charlton much to Reyes' surprise. It is clear he holds no knowledge of its existence. He reads over the coordinates then switches off the terminal. He walks over towards what appears to be an ordinary security panel like a few others seen throughout the house, but it is made to look like the others on purpose after all what is the point of a hidden bunker if one cannot hide it even from ground penetrating satellites. They ride down to the bunker then Reyes disappears into another room only to reemerge in costume. He taps something on his armband, which reveals his counterpart to planes like the Batwing, the Invisible Plane, and the new Javelin Mark III's, which are still in the experimental stage.

* * *

The fate of the original Javelin is well known among the Founders as it was destroyed during their first fight with the Thanagarians prior to being briefly held captive aboard a prison transport, which they escaped from by means a jailbreak. A jailbreak that Huntress heard was led by Diana, but even Huntress could expect nothing less from her especially when the six of them had their vulnerabilities exploited by Shayera's knowledge of them during her time as a Thanagarian undercover agent on Earth. The assignment had come with global and interstellar consequences. The most personal however had come to bear on the Original Seven aka the Founders as they had to decide what to do with Shayera afterward, but she took the decision out of their hands by resigning on her own terms.

Huntress imagines that Batman had foreseen such an occurrence, which could explain Question's interpretation of the vote tally. Bruce and Diana obviously vote to eject her whereas Wally and J'onn would vote to allow her to stay whereas John would opt out of the vote leaving the tie breaker in Superman's hands. What happen with Superman years earlier in regards to being brainwashed and leading an Apokolipitian army against Earth is not quite the irony as he apparently votes in favor of allowing Shayera to stay with the team. However it all goes back to how Batman and more so Bruce understood perhaps best of all that Shayera had to leave them in order to start her way to redefining herself in reaction to what happen during her people's occupation of Earth.

She also had to bear in mind that she had grown closer to the six of them and John in particular during those five years while also struggling to maintain her cover. Hawkgirl had played her part yet Shayera at times would come out through experiences that force her to confront feelings as well as thoughts she often would try to deny entirely. The point in time is that they all took her at her word and Batman apparently had no contingency plan for her because he did not expect her or her people to commit to such an undertaking though the coincidences surrounding their arrival on Earth set something off.

Batman found them out, but to prevent the capture of the six of them. Their escape from captivity had been a team effort with Diana leading the way, but even then they had to dodge Thanagarian search parties. The six make it to Gotham, but the knowledge on how to destroy the bypass had come from Shayera who again willing broke loyalty and trust in order to give the League a chance to prevent Earth's destruction. This exchange ultimately shatters Hro Talak's affections and faith in her. At least most of this is what Huntress could piece together from little the Founders ever said about the last fight between them and the Thanagarians before the bypass' destruction. Those least likely to speak of it include Shayera, John, and Diana whereas Bruce only brought up some details in conversation once when speaking to Question on the subject.

The consequences of costumed heroics (aka vigilantism) is quite thought provoking if she grasps Question's thinking as well as she believes she does, but then he had his moments separate from his professional obsessions. Huntress continues to find him engaging and frustrating though she had come into this view of him by the time they first crossed paths and it is part of what keeps her with him.

[+++]

Huntress' thought train gets an interruption from Nightshade's hand on her shoulder.

"Your mind must be on overdrive. Beetle is ready to fly us out. You okay?"

"I will be. Now let us get underway."

The women follow after Beetle into what he calls the Bug, which is a nickname for his flying vehicle. The trio strap in, the shutters to the tunnel lower revealing a wide horizontal shaft ahead, and Beetle sends the Bug rocketing down the tunnel leaving a slight smoke trail in its wake. The shutters slam close, the lights go out, and miles away the Bug exits from a long wharf then it ascends skyward by vertical ascension, which conceals its movements from anyone passing by or watching the wharf. Beetle angles the plane back around once at a higher altitude then plots a course to the GPS coordinates of what the buried sub-directory refers to as the Hel. The word its oldest translations implies the concept that it is hidden, hidden in plain sight maybe, instead of jumping to the modern conclusion that is a form of hell yet it could be anyway.

* * *

After flying at immeasurable speed for less than an hour, the 'Bug' reverts to vertical descent enabling Huntress to jump glide out of the underside.

"She always doing that?" asks Beetle.

"Usually especially if she is looking for him, which I know she is," replies Nightshade.

"She thinks he is down there?" continues Beetle.

"He has been missing and unresponsive to contact since before the blackouts."

Nightshade goes out next leaving Beetle to power down the ship and then he tries to follow their trail. He had to wonder how Ted could put up with this kind of thing, but then the company is not so bad in terms of Nightshade yet Huntress made him uneasy. The rooftop is likely deceiving yet it did not look anything more than an abandoned storage facility in the middle of the New York countryside. This is likely why the location was chosen especially if the implication goes that this place is the replacement for a previous hidden facility in Maine. He walks towards a door left slightly ajar by Huntress presumably yet something pulls him through roof.

"You didn't mention you could phase through stuff," remarks Beetle.

"It is not phasing exactly rather I made an opening that made you drop through," says Nightshade.

"Interesting… so you are a metahuman?" probes Beetle.

"I am a _Homo Magi_… I can use magic is what that means."

"It must come in handy."

"Most of the time, but there are some things not even magic can fix or undo."

Nightshade continues in silence and they eventually catch up to Huntress who is in the process of removing an access shaft grate.

"You sure that won't trip an alarm?" comments Beetle.

"The place seems to lack a security system, which I find odd," answers Huntress.

Huntress drops through the shaft first, then Nightshade, and lastly Blue Beetle. Once at the bottom they find themselves in a corridor that looks like a cell block. Each cell has a single occupant yet each cell is specifically made for that occupant. This is much more deliberate and sinister then Metabrawl or being held captive by someone who knows the prisoners' weaknesses. They move from one cell to the next while taking note of who is inside the cells.

The number of cells matches the exact number of costumes that are currently on the Justice League roster plus a handful of others. The blackouts had been the near perfect cover to capture these costumes when they were alone, in pairs, or unable to contact someone to gain assistance to evade capture. The only empty cells at the far end are likely for the Founders, but that still leaves three vacant spots though who could that be for wonders Huntress before the realization clicks in her brain. Those three were meant for her, Nightshade, and Blue Beetle.

She had led them into a trap possibly set for them unless their pursuers did not know of their arrival.

"Thanks for coming to us, save us the trouble of looking for you, Conduit here had been following you since you left Kord Industries and Wraith was following Nightshade. Further Cheetah had been tracking the new Blue Beetle's alter-ego for us," says Dr. Magnus.

Nightshade grips both Huntress and Blue Beetle before magically teleporting away from Magnus.

"Wraith, go find her and the others. They must not leave this place those are your orders," commands Magnus.

He vanishes in attempt to trail her magically as he had done earlier though before he had deliberately kept his distance to not alert her to his presence while also not capturing her despite Magnus' orders. Those orders however had come from someone higher up in the chain of this outfit. He had only met Cale and Magnus since leaving the hospital in Maine. Before that he had route sessions with Dr. Andrews and as he found recently Cale is an old friend of Andrews as well as apparently the fiancée of Dr. Magnus. He wonders how many doctors are going to interfere with my life before this is over and frankly he had no idea though someone had to pay for the years he spent stuck at that hospital.

The 'someone' he had in mind was his stepfather, but again that might have to wait unless he can find the nerve to break from their team as reuniting with his twin sister is his way out of this or so he believes to be in some way.

* * *

"Where did you teleport us?" whispers Huntress.

"I'm not sure exactly so get down," murmurs Nightshade.

Blue Beetle follows suits then he adjusts his goggles for night vision as it is pitch black in this area. Nightshade's eyes glow as if improvising her own magical counterpart to Beetle's goggles.

"It is a storage room and there appear to be several if not dozens of costumes in these drawers," says Nightshade.

"Vigilante, Shining Knight, Speedy, Gypsy, Booster Gold, Starman, Stargirl, Nemesis, Commander Steel, Steel, Crimson Avenger, Crimson Fox, Hourman, Sand, and Vixen are few who have been caught that I can identify," remarks Beetle.

"They have been busy, but there are others in here too. All the ones they have here so far fit with those I can halfway remember from either the initial gathering on the Watchtower almost three years ago or the press conference from after the Brainthor fight," interjects Huntress.

Huntress starts looking around for Question's gear that is if they put his in here with the rest.

"You looking for someone specific?" asks Beetle.

"We already had this chat topside Beetle," reminds Nightshade.

They search though with each draw open and shut again they find more Leaguers have gone missing since the blackouts than they originally thought possible. Drawer after drawer reveals more about who is here and verifies who is not, not yet anyway. However it is increasingly frustrating not being able to find the draw with his look unless they did not capture, but she refuses inwardly to consider the worst case scenario in his disappearance. She had to wonder how long before Terrific got suspicious about nobody calling in, but then most of the cities could have power back by the time anyone notices they are gone.

"I think I found his," says Nightshade.

"Where are you?" exclaims Huntress.

"Over here," replies Nightshade.

Huntress joins Nightshade and Blue Beetle comes towards them after his roundabout search of the far side.

"This room is pretty sizable. It is almost odd that you somehow brought us here without knowing it."

"I can't always control where I end up when I am in hurry and they were about to attack us."

"The idea is cover where we might go unnoticed for awhile."

"Right."

Huntress can feel the shape of a fedora between her fingers, which meant he must be in this place unless they made a trick out of this whole thing. She found a pad fraying at the edges and written in Question's almost illegible writing though she could read it or some it given that she spent more time around him than anyone including Batman. The next question still remains is where did they put Question… put _Vic_. As for whoever kept him here this time around they would not get the same restraint she had shown for Atom following her getting him away from Cadmus.

"I doubt we can risk using a computer terminal to narrow the search down because they would be on us in seconds or if we are lucky… maybe a minute or two," comments Beetle.

"I haven't come this far to get stuck between getting him back and getting caught by them. Can we somehow unlock all the cells?" says Huntress.

"Leave that to me. I need only find the power generators or at least the control console for the cell locks," assures Nightshade.

"We wait here until you return or we here noise evidence that a mass breakout is in progress."

"That's the plan… see you soon."

At the sound of a whoosh Nightshade is no longer with them in the storage room.

* * *

Nightshade and Wraith cross paths again near the power generators, which are even deeper inside the facility than the massive layout of cell-blocks.

"Why are you working for these people? They have abducted dozens of costumes who are not metahumans against their will!" hisses Nightshade.

"They told me that you were dead, that our stepfather was responsible, and that these costumes did nothing to prevent it," rebukes Wraith.

"You think I'd let him harm me after what he did to you… **what I let him do to you**!"

"We were young… I was angry with him… I was upset with you… nobody believed me… I thought if anyone would believe it would be you my twin sister!"

"Did it ever occur to you that I took Mom's death as heavily as you did? That I didn't want to admit to the idea that some supernatural killed her, not an ordinary human disease, because it was hard enough fooling everyone else into believing I was just another little girl and later a woman!"

"You have any idea what it is like when everyone even doctors that are supposedly there to help you are in reality drugging you into false calm. I kept reaching out to you while we both slept. I believe I might be to blame for your nightmares, but then I saw memories similar to my own somehow buried inside your mind as if someone made you forget… I never thought you were repressing them on your own."

"I was, it only occurred to me a long time later, but by then I was told you had killed yourself. I eventually made myself visit the site where they said it happen, but I could find no trace of you. You know the way our mother taught us to track each other?"

"I remember..."

"It was how I found it was you doing those things that some initially thought were my doing."

"Our magical 'footprint' is almost identical because of being twins."

"We can't change what happen, but I still need you brother, we're still family."

"How do I know you are not using me like all the others? I know who you are helping her look for."

"He is important to her, just like you are to me, if you can't believe me, then who will you?"

"He was the first they took and the reason why nobody can detect this place is because of me. You remember how Mom said that magic can hide anything in plain sight."

"Why did they go after him first?"

"He got too close just they had to move to intercept him before he could warn anyone and he was also the one to expose what was really going with Luthor just ahead of Brainiac's reappearance."

"How do you know these things?"

"They told me recent events up to a certain point and in pieces as I could tell they were leaving things out on purpose so with each passing revelation I had come to see where all the blank spots were."

"So who is behind all this?"

"I was never told a name, but then compartmentalization and secrecy is the key to why much of what has gone on down here remains unknown to the world at large."

It is much to take in for Nightshade before she sees him drop a duffel bag with Question's costume in it along with a note written in a language only the two understood because their mother had taught them this particular language. They had almost unknowingly been talking in that same language for the past several minutes as well. Their mother often said they were quick learners, but she also said that children often pick up languages much quicker than adults. A childhood reflex brought weak smiles to their faces.

"You must get these things to her, I will take care of the power generators," says Wraith.

"You'll meet up with me afterward right?" asks Nightshade.

"If I can get away I will, otherwise only time will tell and if they discover my part then this might be goodbye for real this time around."

"Be safe my brother, I will not lose you a second time."

"Same for you my sister, enough years are already lost to us."

* * *

"Why did he call us down here?" grumbles Zoom.

"Who knows, the pay as good as it usually is even with the failures in Gotham," remarks Sinestro.

"Boys, boys, I have had enough of your whining," snaps Volcana.

"If the chance to kill Batman weren't on the table I would be back in Gotham," cracks Hush.

"If Joker's bombs had not gone off I would have finally gotten the chance to see Superman die. Too few of us get close enough and Toyman's beam weapon didn't cut it," interjects Conduit.

"Murder was definitely not in the original agreement, I don't intend to live out the rest of my life like this, and how much did that guy know anyway?" says Clayface.

"He found out enough that the boss said he had to be killed and you were the only one close enough at the time to do it without being caught," remarks Cheetah.

"Like that's supposed to make me feel better about murder!" snarls Clayface.

"You were willing to kill Batman and others in the past!" reminds Hush.

"That was then… after spending all that time in Morgan Edge's canisters… divided… it left me with too much time to think about everything I did with my life since becoming Clayface."

"So tell me why haven't we replaced Clayface with someone else by now?"

The elevator doors part to reveal Dr. Magnus and someone new to the group.

"Blackouts had a dual purpose. First for us to be able to nab all these so-called heroes and second to complete process to create… Clayface's replacement," says Dr. Magnus.

"He kind reminds me of that…" begins Clayface.

An energy discharge hits Clayface and he crumples to the ground just as the power fails throughout the entire underground.

"It appears our intruders have been busy," chuckles Hush.

"That they have… but then they haven't dealt with me before."

"Frankly I must ask who are you?" asks Volcana.

"You can call me Major Force," says the new guy.

"Now that the introductions are over with, you all go find them… if you have to kill… don't hesitate like ol' Clayface over here… "

Dr. Magnus returns to the elevator then taps a code into a handheld controller. Somewhere else timers start ticking. Magnus knows Force would survive the explosion, but almost nobody else would give the yield of the explosives. He had been first to duplicate the success of the bonding process that made Captain Atom and that alone is something leaves him with a grin on his face. Likewise the bulk of the Justice League would probably perish in the blast, which would definitely provoke any who are not here. It would work out better than even Maxwell Lord could expect, but then the plan to subtly divide the League then eliminate as many as possible in one swift stroke would work quite nicely.

Lord had come to the conclusion leaving the Watchtower assault in the hands of a Supergirl clone and an army slaved to her obsession with the actual Supergirl was a wasted opportunity though he would concede that she was the only successful cloning attempt. Luthor's earliest attempts were for naught as the clones eventually would perish from cellular degeneration whereas Doomsday was eventually confined to the Phantom Zone from which there is apparently no escaping as far as anyone on Earth was aware of.

Magnus exits the elevator at the ground level where he is met by Veronica Cale and the two return to a car outside waiting for them. The blackouts continue to dominate the sporadic news reports across the planet yet many continue to credit the League for their assistance. It is still not known or told that the global power disruptions were engineered because that would cause an unwelcomed backlash especially if the cause of the blasts could be linked to say Captain Atom. Only a handful of people actually know what is the real cause and they were not about to say it on international television, at least not yet anyway. Wraith continues to shadow Magnus without the 'good' doctor's knowledge, but someone had to keep track of him.

* * *

"Come out so I can kill you all!" declares Hush.

"Where would the fun be in that?" responds Vic.

"The cell doors are on a backup standalone so how did you get of your cell?" quips Hush.

"Time's a-wasting… and you are in my way Hush!" snorts Vic.

Hush never felt it coming as a tray connects with the back of his skull. Vic could hear running footsteps, but sound told him who was coming before he turns around to see her outline in the dark. She grips him by his undershirt and kisses him roughly on the lips. She is happy to have found him, but still she did smack him gently across both cheeks. He takes the blows in stride because others have hit him a lot worse than that.

"Here's your outfit if you want to change babydoll," offers Huntress.

"Don't mind if I do… so how did you find me this time?" asks Vic.

"Same as always… have to dig around to find a way to track you down," says Huntress.

"Probably encrypted files from Kord Industries right?" guesses Question.

"How did you?" sigh Huntress.

"It is not hard to guess since I found about this place after my last meeting with the recently deceased Joe Martin, previously the Atomic Skull, but now quite dead. Whoever the operatives in the suits were, they were waiting stealthily for my arrival."

"He was already dead by the time you got there. It must have bugged you out to be caught while quietly slipping into an ordinary apartment."

"I should have left given the fact that the window was open, but then I thought maybe its his way of saying I am leaving you a quick way in and out."

"Almost sounds optimistic."

"It is too optimistic coming from me."

The other costumes are breaking out of their cells with help from Blue Beetle and Nightshade.

"I believe we should get out of here before Hush's partners come looking for him though the rest of them are probably searching separately, but then I am not assuming anything at least with them."

There is a sudden whoosh behind them and when it stops there is the outline of someone who looks like Flash though both of them know its not Flash.

"I am afraid nobody is leaving here alive except for me and my partners ain't that right Sinestro?"

The glow of a yellow ring comes from the opposite direction.

"It looks like one or both of you got the better of Hush. I doubt even one of you could get the drop on Batman, well maybe the lady could," comments Sinestro.

Sinestro would regret the comment less than a minute later when the audible sound of his wrist dislocating can be heard just barely. He groans while holding back the urge to almost howl in pain. Zoom runs toward Sinestro except in mid dash he trips over something or rather someone who put his foot in Zoom's path a split second after Zoom made the attempt to dash. Zoom goes flying and lands painfully on the stone floor.

"What should we do with these three?" asks Huntress.

"How far underground are we?" replies Question.

"Too deep for transport that's for sure," says Vigilante.

"There is an elevator," suggests Vixen.

"Though I would have to ask… why help these fiends?" queries Shining Knight.

"Given what happen to their other place like this… we better get out of here soon," reminds Nightshade.

Knight and Vigilante drag Sinestro, Booster Gold and Nemesis take Zoom and Blue Beetle with Question handle Hush.

"If these three are here, what's to say their buddies are not around?" asks Speedy.

"They probably are, but they can find their own way out of this," responds Question.

Huntress rides up with Question, Beetle, and an unconscious Hush. The next elevator run takes Knight, Vigilante, and Sinestro with a broken wrist. The one after that is for Booster Gold, Nemesis, Speedy, Vixen, and a mumbling Zoom.

* * *

She held onto him tightly during the fly back to Charlton. The others had taken charge of the three villains that were taken down during the escape. The facility along with the warehouse above it had gone up in flames and as for whether or not the other villains down there got away, remains to be seen though as Question suspects, they found a way out. They might not be happy with their employer for this experience, but then they were probably already told that covering tracks in whatever way possible is a must.

"So was this just another diversion?"

"No, this time… they meant to imprison us… maybe kill us… if they were trying to cover their tracks making it look like a random fire in some abandoned warehouse… it wouldn't get much attention."

"The blackouts are the major story. A fire story might turn up a few days later, maybe next week, or possibly never."

Nightshade rides up front with Blue Beetle.

"I see you 'recruited' Blue Beetle to the search."

"Let's say Nightshade did most of the talking and I got the files, which you already seem to know."

"I had seen most of what you saw just before I went to see Martin again."

"So they baited you?"

"The message was handwritten so either they told to him to write or he wrote then gotten taken out by them afterward… either way he is just as dead."

"Can't save everyone…"

Question ceases to talk and Huntress just leans against him. This separation did not last as long as one during those two weeks before the Brainthor business, which also put him and her in the cross-hairs of Cadmus. There is much worth fighting for, maybe even dying for, but then what is there to live for, she only had to look at him to know the answer to all three though she could without the second one more often than not. The interior of the 'Bug' is on panel glow lights, which drastically reduces the glow reflecting through glass shield at the front of the plane. Huntress grabs the aerosol from Question's coat pocket and gently sprays it across his face though he holds her hands before she peels the mask away yet after a moment allows her to remove it.

Other than himself, he would allow only her to do that to his face and now his mind could cease to do anything except react to her kissing him. Her lips taste the same yet different as his mind interprets each kiss separate from the last as well as the next. The moonlight passing through the glass shield at the front casts a kind of glow around her not unlike making her black hair shine just a little in the dark. He pulls off her mask before initiating the next kiss himself.

The 'Bug's dive into the water conceals the sounds both make when she reacts in surprise to him kissing her in such a way yet it is one pathway to making familiar elements reminiscent and fresh.

* * *

A/N 1: Question's captivity doesn't last as long as it did during the Cadmus Arc, but that's because Huntress goes after him sooner. Their intimate kissing scene in the back of the 'Bug' is in one way a nod to a particular scene in Watchmen though not purposely written as such.

A/N 2: As for Sandra Knight, that's a nod to Phantom Lady, who is another character who Alan Moore cited as inspiration for Silk Spectre II. As for Braverman, in the comics he's Conduit, of course in DCAU continuity, he is seen in StAS **New Kids In Town** (his only appearance that I know of).

A/N 3: Hel is an underworld in Norse mythology. The word itself loosely translates to hidden yet when borrowed by the English language, the word becomes Hell. The Hel in this chapter was built in secret as a detainment facility for the costumes aka heroes.

A/N 4: Enter Major Force who joins the team that already consists of Conduit, Zoom, Sinestro, Volcana, Hush, and Cheetah. Clayface makes a brief reappearance where he laments killing Ted Grant and refers to his time in the drums before the events of JL **Secret Society**.

A/N 5: As for the EMP induced blackouts across the globe, that's a nod to Veidt using technology made by Dr. Manhattan to "kill millions, to save billions" yet here the apparent motive was to capture the League while they were truly divided by the blackouts.


	27. Ghosts

"_**Blackouts worldwide have at last come to an end though as to the exact cause of them, remains for the moment unknown, but press statements made by various governments including the World Assembly is that they are investigating all possible origins."**_

News stations across the globe had similar anchors reporting from various blackout locations and in age of instant transmission, anyone who had access to network would know the story if they were not already in the area of a previously powerless city. Blue Beetle opts to take Question, Huntress, and Nightshade with him in order to learn the status of the hearings being led by Senator Schneider. They kept the broadcast running during the second flight of the 'Bug' in less than two days.

"_**The latest on Capitol Hill is that five of the Justice League Founders are in a closed doors session with a Congressional Committee led by known costumes detractor Senator Lawrence Schneider. However so far mandates from the higher levels forbid him from doing anything more than questioning them. As to the nature of the questioning, it is likely about the blackouts and their origins or so the situation suggests at present. Updates to come, this is Snapper Carr, Washington D.C."**_

Beetle throttles up the engines and they race within acceptable speeds inside military air space over the nation's capitol. The interior is again on running lights in order to mask their visual presence and Beetle had also made use of a radar jammer though if some 'bird' got too close then their hiding in plain sight would be blown.

"There's no way to hide a plane like this within city limits," says Beetle.

"That much is apparent from the security they have down there," notes Nightshade.

"The blackouts have made them jumpy," remarks Huntress.

"It'll be worse when they press the Founders about Atom," admits Question.

Question did not believe what the accusation would be as he had seen Atom head as far away the surface as he could get, but the energy backwash is too remarkable to be a coincidence yet he thinks that someone means to frame Atom, maybe even kill him. As for the Founders, Schneider's summons leaves the League in the hands of his most experienced agents. They mesh well their own familiar realms, but now they are caught between those realms and the world beyond those same realms.

"What would Schneider ask about him?" asks Nightshade softly.

"EMP is a form of electromagnetic radiation and Atom is one of few who can qualify as a radiation regulator yet the blasts all almost happen simultaneously," answers Question.

"When we were searching that hospital in Maine, we overheard a Dr. Magnus and Max Lord talking about a bonding process," interjects Huntress.

"It would account for why they set off the blasts, but not all of it."

"They were busy abducting costumes starting you with you," remarks Beetle.

"Interesting that they would start with me though they are likely after me first because of what happen with Cadmus."

"Because you went after Luthor, he went ahead with his plan to try to pit Cadmus and the League into a no-win scenario, but it didn't work, well it had come awfully close."

"They didn't anticipate certain variables and unknowns."

Huntress conceals a blush in the darkened interior of the 'Bug' when Question mentions those particular words while not exactly making eye contact with her.

"Repeats with variations, such is history, the cycle remains intact, but who or what will ensure infinity instead of terminus?" murmurs Question.

"Someone care to translate that one for me?" remarks Beetle.

"Infinity means that the cycle just loops back on itself like it has done before. Essentially it is not having all the worst possible outcomes becoming realities, like Flash surviving the fight with Brainthor by being pulled back into our world by the other Founders."

"So at a critical moment any one of us could defer the end of the world?"

"Possibly, but then I don't literally see all the pathways or the routes that they follow. What my mind can work through is tangents based on everything that I absorb about the current intersecting events."

"Very creative or imaginative mind you got there Question."

It is an obvious compliment if Question had not heard them infrequently enough in the past three years from various members of the Justice League, but then where Batman sought Arrow for humility, he sought Question for inquiry. However nobody, not Batman, not Question, and certainly not Huntress could have seen at the start just how intertwined lives become by Question's involvement in the League. However Superman, Batman, Huntress, and Black Canary are not the only ones with ghosts in their lives, but Question would not reveal the details of his ghosts, but then he had occasionally spoken of them. His ghosts were his oldest secrets, but then everyone has secrets, no matter how close anyone gets to anyone else, not all is truly known, unless both cast off their costumes in full.

Few ever venture into that realm of intimacy and those that do will either be closer for it or be driven away from each other. He wonders inwardly if he should take his ghosts to the grave yet Huntress… _Helena_… had long since held the right to know about his as he had found hers out without her telling him. His are as close to him as hers are to her though how or when to tell her that remains a blank. This conspiracy involving a plan set in motion by the presumed renegade Illuminatus Maxwell Lord had already shown him that their lives remain full of risk and some risks must be taken regardless of consequences.

* * *

They go without gadgets or weapons when walking in D.C. after hiding the 'Bug' on the far side of the city. Question as usual had intricate knowledge of the layout of the Metro schedules and the sewer lines. The four now out of costume travel among the nighttime passengers of the Metro. Reyes is the most easily recognized of the four of them. As for Eve, Helena would not thought she have another close friendship with a blond yet like with Dinah, she finds a friendship not easily made though once there, it is fiercely kept.

Fiercely kept meaning almost nothing could break for it had to be broken by those that keep it and Helena would have it no other way. The few friends she keeps are like family to her and as for love that goes to another level, one that had given her the ability to transcend the obsession that had partially driven her to become Huntress in the first place. Love made her redefine what being Huntress meant and what Huntress would do in a world where vengeance is no longer her motivation. She could not put her past in the ground with her parents yet she found how to live in the present through him.

She holds his hand tightly in hers and notes a slight grin in his lips. Helena puts her arms around him and they kiss on the Metro station platform. In moments like this one, she could forget that their lives are chaotic and that their profession is full all that could break them or save them. The trip passes almost in silence if not for the sound of rush hour chatter, people using iPods, cell phones, and other handheld gadgets that had taken a permanent spot in their daily routines. It is a rather drawn out ride on the Metro, but then they could not make the trip go any faster.

Part of her did not mind the lengthy process of reaching the Capitol South Station and the 'Bug' would be alright in the dark. Besides Reyes had a locator device on him, which would tells him precisely where to find his vehicle. This is another of the scattered interludes that she and Vic had since before what happen in Gotham not that long ago. The part of her that enjoys these pockets of alone time together clearly shows especially to Vic who keeps her close at hand because all that happen since Grant's death had kept him on edge though he hid it well most of the time.

America's capitol city had gone through periods of being an open inviting corner and times of fortification. It drifts more towards the latter these days, but that is not surprising to Question, though for Vic it remains a string of history lessons. His mother made him fond of learning even when it brought him face to face with the ghosts of history, but he got the importance of knowing what happen before because it often happens again with twists. Battles had been fought on the very streets above them though not always with weapons, more often some would fight with words.

Many of the figures he held respect for in history were often men and women who did what they did because to do otherwise would betray their principles as well as how those very things defined their lives. History texts however aren't known for remembering history the way Vic does or how Question puts history into context with the fights he has found himself in since joining the League. Like many things that held his interest in life, Vic found that he still had much to learn and many of those lessons had come from the woman who loves him.

Books at one time and still remain a source for developing how his mind operates though his romantic involvement with Helena brought him into the world of films. They would have to renew that ritual someday because they had gone a long time without doing it. His thoughts gain an interruption when she pins against the back of the car where they had been standing for quite some time. She truly is in the mood tonight and he is half way there himself even with all this thinking about where this new conspiracy is driving him.

He treats the moment as a new experience because they had rarely been known for kissing in public, usually when alone or among the other costumes, and so with that her lips connect to his. They taste better and different then he remembers even though they had been kissing to some extent during the flight down. She is using a shade of lipstick he had not seen her use before so again she manages a sensory surprise for him. She smiles noticing the almost startled look on his face.

"Good for you?" whispers Helena.

"Nothing is better than you… except maybe getting a kiss from you," murmurs Vic.

"Now, now, you are making me blush baby," replies Helena.

He could see it faintly in her cheeks and so he returns her kiss with one of his own. She makes a very low and subtle moan in reaction as if glad for him to be taking the lead to initiate another kiss. The tunnel lights brighten the Metro subway cars while in between the lights, the cars go dark again. It is rather rhythmic, like her breathing, which seems to quicken with him kissing her and her heart beats a little faster around him. Nothing attests more for their love then times like this one because in the chaos of life, there is the equation of love yet it is not bound by any one answer.

The answer is formless yet manifests itself in gestures like their kissing at the back of a semi-crowded subway car. Men and women alike aboard this particular car either take note or try to ignore looking in their direction.

The number of passengers in the car fluctuates all the way up to the stop where the four plan to get off, which comes after spending almost a half hour riding the Metro.

* * *

"Guess we're getting closer, but there's a security checkpoint ahead," notes Jamie.

"Rightly so, this is after all the closest stop to Capitol Hill," remarks Vic.

The four head straight for the checkpoint and hand over what little they brought with them to the officer handling personal items and another directs them through the metal detector. The check goes off without a hitch and together they head south once back on street level. As for how to get into Capitol Hill itself they would have to be more creative about that approach.

"I have a feeling that Damon might be here to meet with Schneider," comments Jamie.

"What makes you say that?" asks Eve.

"The fact I can see him in the distance, unless there's another Damon Dreiser that looks like him."

"We'll take your word for it, but he might find it curious that you are here."

"More so even knows you have seen those files or at least a portion."

"He can't do anything to me in public, unless I am overestimating my safety here."

Reyes goes alone to meet with Dreiser who is still a distance from the steps of Capitol Hill. Eve, Helena, and Vic stay out of sight, but Vic as usual is reading body language as if to determine what Dreiser's mindset is right now with the appearance of Reyes. Vic starts lip reading as Reyes made a point of standing with half his face within Vic's line of sight.

"What are they saying?" queries Eve.

"Damon seems surprised to see Jamie," answers Vic.

"What else?"

"Damon is inviting him to tag along with the meeting with Schneider."

"He said anything about us yet?"

"He is asking if a few others can come with them."

"Damon might not agree to that."

"Strangely he does, we better join them then."

The trio joins Jamie and Damon a few minutes later then together the five climb the steps. At the entrance is another security checkpoint, but like the one back at the Metro station, there is little trouble once again. Vic catches sight of John Stewart, but Stewart tries to act like he doesn't recognize Vic. It looks successful despite the watching eyes of the security personnel. The five pass Wally on the way to the boardroom where Dreiser is planning to meet with Schneider when the hearings go into recess.

Eve looks unaffected by the prospect of seeing her stepfather again after all this time, but some part of her feels like she might give him at least a piece of her mind over what happen to Lucas if Vic read her right.

"Your friends will have to stay outside since Schneider is only open to seeing Kord Industries representatives," remarks Damon.

"We understand that Mr. Dreiser," assures Vic.

"Well glad we got that straight, so after you Jay," continues Damon.

Reyes goes inside and Eve heads for the bathroom nearest to there. Helena goes too, but discovers Eve is gone. Helena had a gut feeling that somehow Eve was looking to spy on the meeting and might try the old hiding in the closet trick or something similar. She heads back out alone yet Vic looks unconcerned that only she had come back.

"She teleported to one of the adjoining rooms, a closet, or something similar right?" whispers Vic.

"What makes you say that?" asks Helena.

"She wants to know what business her stepfather has meeting with Damon Dreiser."

"Makes sense… why not just take it from Jamie later?

"She doesn't trust Reyes to tell her the whole story, so eavesdropping is the only way."

"She better be careful for her own sake."

"She knows her powers and understands that not all solutions involve a fight."

* * *

"Status of Project Tin-man?" asks Schneider.

"Success, the blackouts had given us the best cover to do it as it would blend in with the EMP blasts. Perhaps you would like to see our newest operative in person?" says Dreiser.

"He is here?" queries Schneider.

"I am Senator. You can call me Major Force. I have another name, but that identity is no longer mine. The same applies to those who are also part of the team I am now on," says Force.

"What happen with the team in Gotham was remarkable, but you were still driven back."

"Nobody could anticipate fully that Question would involve himself, but then with the lives of two Justice League Founders at stake. I doubt he would have kept to the sidelines."

"It still gave you an opening to test the abilities of Conduit and Zoom, but then Batman's enemies did not entirely follow their part of the bargain."

"Nobody ever entirely follows their word, not even you Senator, and you wonder how I or my associates dare to say such a thing to you in this very building, but I remind you of how close the ties had been between our predecessors, it did what was necessary, now we only seek to do the same."

"So your pals expect to succeed where Cadmus came up short?"

"The only one we have not been able to match up with is Question."

"He's one of the reasons why Cadmus failed in my opinion because they underestimated the way his mind works and also Huntress though she wouldn't have gotten him out without Superman."

"She had the nerve, just not quite the means to pull off the retrieval alone."

There is a slide-show of psych evaluations made on the team starting with their operative brought in to exploit Superman's weakness to Kryptonite as his suit runs on Kryptonite, but in a way separate from Metallo. The suit runs on Kryptonite, which is seen as better than a machine that needs the ore to remain online. Conduit had come remarkably close to killing Superman and Batman had been taken down when he thought himself almost safe in the Batcave. The operative put to the task of snatching Batman is Hush as he shares much in common with Batman and Batman's alter-ego though there are more than a few personality differences too. However Hush is seen as a more pliable candidate when it comes to finding someone capable of taking on Batman. Joker never made the list for obvious reasons in the minds of most sitting in on this closed doors meeting.

"Conduit and Hush more than met the assignments head on, which is why they remain on the team when we cut our losses with several others during the Gotham Toss."

"However their near successes were beaten back by Question and others close to Batman."

"Zoom had more success against Flash in Central City then anywhere else, but he has proven to be a keeper for the team. As for Sinestro, he stays because we need someone against Green Lantern and so far Star Sapphire is unlikely to return anytime soon. Otherwise she would replace Sinestro."

"So you have Cheetah, Conduit, Hush, Zoom, Sinestro, Killer Frost, Volcana, and now Major Force."

"We have found a suitable eighth operative. I trust you have heard of him. Doctor Destiny, meet the good Senator, one of our many political supporters."

One didn't need words to explain the discomfort that Destiny's face brings to the faces of those in the room with the exception of Force, Dreiser, and Reyes.

"So who he is a counterpart to on the team?"

"The Martian, but of course he went up against the Martian and almost all the other Founders in their nightmares. So share your assessment or at least what you remember after the catatonia broke."

"How did he end up catatonic?"

"I'd appreciate if you didn't refer to me as I am not in earshot Senator."

Schneider grips his chair as Destiny glares at him. The senator clenches his teeth whilst refusing inwardly to bend to what Destiny is doing inside his head. It did not take much imagination to realize that Destiny's augmentations by Luthor had made his powers much more deadly than they were to begin with after Destiny aka John Dee remade himself mentally through a machine. A machine built to enhance and unlock parts of the brain that are rarely tapped into by anyone. His initial abilities had given him the power to trap people in their dreams or rather their nightmares, which made It impossible for them to wake unless someone could go inside their minds and break Destiny's hold on them.

* * *

_The Martian from within went through each one stuck in their nightmares, but Destiny also had Batman to contend with though trying to get inside the Caped Crusader's head proved to be harder than he thought as Batman's mental stamina was different from the others.

* * *

_

The first image shown by the overhead projector after the lights are dimmed down is Flash.

"I shall start with the easiest trap of the seven. Flash is afraid that his speed will one potentially cut him off from all that matters, that life will pass him by, not because everyone else is leaving, but because he cannot slow down. His Speed Force attack on Luthor almost did this while also almost killing him."

The image shifts to the familiar S emblem yet it a split image as to one side there is the familiar look of Superman and on the other side is the darker version of him from the Justice Lords' reality.

"Superman's fear is that his control, his self-restraint will fail him and then nobody will be safe to be around him. The first person to die in his nightmare was Lois Lane, not a surprise, those two are all over each other, no matter what happens to either, he's got such immeasurable powers yet he is afraid of losing control."

Superman's split image is replaced with three different shots of John Stewart. The middle one however belongs to his Justice Lords counterpart. The point is the subtle likeness in countenance and attire.

"Green Lantern aka John Stewart at times fears that being a Lantern alienates him from Earth, but more so alienates him from the city where he had grown up. In his nightmare, I merely found a way to mesh that city and all the alien cities he has been too. His other fears or insecurities tie to the former Hawkgirl."

Another triple image replaces Lantern's triple shot. The new triple shot shows three versions of Shayera Hol. The first two belong to when she is seen wearing the headdress or helm. The first shot is the look she was known for on Earth for five years. The second is presumably the Justice Lord Hawkgirl though to some it just looks like her in a Thanagarian military uniform. The third shot is one of her without the mask.

"Failing in anyway was and remains the fear of the former Hawkgirl. She also realizes that neither Earth nor Thanagar will ever look or think of her in the same way again. Don't look so surprised people, she betrayed her people to save this world from their attempt to their save their own world. You might wonder how I know this, well during my last encounter with her I found her new nightmares."

Nobody speaks as they just listen to the almost sinister voice coming from Destiny.

"The new ones still involve failure, but there is almost unbearable anxieties and belief that her connections with those that matter to her on Earth will never really recover. Further still her cut short romance with John Stewart makes a triangle between her, him, and his new girlfriend."

Some might find such details boring, but then for someone like Schneider personal lives were not that important to him so long as the vigilantism would end in his lifetime. Destiny found that much in the Senator's surface thoughts.

"Carter Hall aka Hawkman is part of a second triangle, which involves him, Shayera, and John along with this nonsense about reincarnation, but then who knows, what counts is the unsteady nature of personal relationships and uncertain friendships bothers her though all of it ties back to the Occupation."

"Well that it should, there was an outcry when she was let back into the League, but then they are led in a sense by the first alien traitor Superman," snorts Schneider.

"I'm not done yet Senator, so hold comments if you please."

Schneider simply hand gestures that his silence will be upheld.

"Of all the ones I had trapped in their dreams, I got the closest to breaking her mind, but Batman discovering my hiding place put an end to that as I jabbed myself with the injection instead of him. He mentally fought off all my attempts to get into his dreams. He held even when in close proximity to me. As the closer you are to me, the more I can affect your mind."

The lights resume their usual setting and Schneider pops the most obvious question as for who of the Founders Destiny said nothing on so far.

"Anything on Wonder Woman?"

"She wasn't around at that time so I never got around to her. However during the Gotham test of team. I did manage to get a taste of her fears as they were constantly at the surface of her thoughts. She fears failing Batman more than any of the others in the League because she loves him though he is overly reluctant to involve himself with any woman."

"What else about her?"

"She holds failing Batman to the same degree as failing Themyscira, in particular her mother."

"You think that those seven having all that power to throw around, they wouldn't have such ordinary fears."

"They have fears yes, ordinary perhaps, but then no amount of power helps against the fears of the mind. Not even yours Senator."

"Just what exactly are you implying Dee?"

"My name is Doctor Destiny and my implication is something from your past that few in this room know about except me, maybe some of the non-politicians in this room, and of course someone eavesdropping on this meeting."

Dreiser's brow rises slightly as if certain that the room was found clear before Schneider's arrival. Destiny walks towards where he senses a mind trying to conceal its presence yet not doing too well now aware that Destiny could sense… her. He moves to open the door to the equipment closet, but just as he does, he hears a somewhat muffled noise. He pulls the door away to find a closet vacant of its only living occupant.

"Someone overheard this entire meeting. I do believe its time for us to go Mr. Dreiser. No sense in getting caught in a situation like this once the Founders learn of our presence."

"Force, Destiny, sneak out of here, the security sweep cycle presents an opening in less than ten minutes, now go."

Force and Destiny slip out the side entrance to the conference room then head for the break in the sweep.

"If is alright with you, I'll be leaving now Damon, see you back at the offices."

"It didn't feel totally right leaving you out of the loop after Ted's death, but now you know."

"Yes I do… it looks like everything is in order even with a recent snafu… good night Senator."

Schneider and his aides leave ahead of Reyes.

Reyes leaves next and notices that his 'friends' have already left. He could only wonder where they went so he makes a bee line for the front entrance/exit to the building. He goes through the checkpoint, and he is soon on this way back to the entrance to the Capitol South Station. However he gets the feeling that somebody is following him. A hand grabs his then pulls him into a slight dash across the street and just narrowly avoid an unmarked car that he did not notice bearing down on him. He looks to who had gotten him across the street. It is Eve though he had done his best not to think about her while in the presence of Destiny since the villain obviously had the ability to dig into minds without finesse or care for the mind that comes into his mental grip.

* * *

"Destiny almost found me. I made a hasty teleport and found myself back in a bathroom stall, but not the same I went into before trying to spy on that meeting. They certainly have covered all their bases and they have leverage on Schneider… probably me or my brother, maybe both."

"Your Schneider's daughter?"

"Stepdaughter, my brother and I became his legal stepchildren when he married our mother. As for the details beyond that, I'm not saying anything more… we have enough to deal with right now."

Together they hurry down the stairwell into the station only to be taken into the shadows away from the ceiling lights above the stairs.

"What the?" gasps Jamie.

"Relax Reyes, it is just me," assures Vic.

Eve already realizes who had taken hold of her and Helena says nothing to her.

"We left ahead of both of you figuring that they might be onto one or both of you. It is not like either of us thought you might get caught, but once we heard Destiny's voice, we both agreed that it was time to leave the building," continues Vic.

"Good call, we both tried to vamoose as soon as possible," replies Jamie.

"Who says vamoose anymore?" snickers Eve.

"I do," remarks Jamie.

"I heard, just making a joke."

"I didn't get it, but maybe it is just me."

Vic hand gestures for absolute silence as a man and a woman in dark attire head down the stairwell then start earpiece comlink chatter with others that are presumably watching other Metro stops. It would be difficult to make a clean getaway here with agents trailing them. The risks are the same all around, but it would be best to stick to the return route, at least he believes that is the way to go about 'skipping town'.

The two agent team leaves by stairwell, but there are likely others in the station, so they move about as casually as possible then board the next subway bound back to the direction that they took to get here.

* * *

The subway suddenly starts to speed up once they are away from the Capitol South Station.

"This is too convenient. Nobody followed us onto the train, at least I thought so," quips Vic.

"Too bad I don't have my goggles, but then the point was to go as plain as possible," remarks Jamie.

The four advance car by car to find that the cars are mostly empty save the wiring that runs the length of each car.

"This is bad, very bad," groans Helena.

"What is it?" snaps Eve.

"This train is wired to explode!" yells Helena.

"What kind of explosives?"

"It is speed regulated as something or someone input a command to speed this thing up."

Reyes pulls out a hand-held device then starts typing in commands in an attempt to override the car's computer system, but to no avail, someone made the program impossible to disable with the time remaining. The four only had so much time to stop the train or risk jumping out though they soon discover the doors are also stuck in a lock-down. Separately they break out the emergency axes then start pounding away at the end car's back door as all the interior doors still respond to bio-signs as this subway is part of a new experimental system where the subway control functions are run by a computer interface.

Jamie continues clacking away at his hand-held after almost wheezing himself into a panic attack.

Helena and Vic finally manage to shatter the end car's back door window then Helena sets to breaking the locking mechanism, which takes more time then shattering a window. It felt annoying to rely on tools that weren't hers to break the lock, but they had to do the job if they were going to get off this death train before it smashes into the concrete barrier at the end of the line or worse smash into another subway train. Vic bandages up the cuts on her arms as breaking the window had given both of them some scraps on their arms.

There is a loud explosion above them and then something comes through the break in the subway tunnel ceiling. Reyes had brought the 'Bug' to them using his handheld, but then the subway speeds up more. This forces Reyes to struggle to keep his balance while setting the 'Bug' to follow on maximum speed while continuing to run on autopilot. The 'Bug' is the width of two subway trains side by side and they got lucky that the tunnels could withstand interior damage to a certain extent. The only other structural plus is that the boarding/departing platforms are off to the side of the underground stations instead of the middle, which accounts for the tunnel geometry.

"I really think people are trying to kill us everywhere we go," fumes Helena.

She starts to hear Vic speak and makes a wry smile as she recognizes the words.

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man," quotes Vic.

"You are quoting Shakespeare while we are speeding towards our deaths?" retorts Jamie.

"There is no right time so I'll say it anyway," replies Vic.

Eve pulls herself towards the back of the car and the 'Bug' strains to keep up with this bullet train of a subway. They are liable to run out of track before much more time passes by. Eve focuses mentally to teleport herself and Jamie to the back of the 'Bug'. It appears successful as both Helena and Vic can see them inside the ship. Eve reappears at Helena's side a few seconds later. Vic nods at both of them as if nonverbally insisting they go now.

"It'll take more than a speeding train to ruin this night," assures Vic.

"You better believe it," says Helena.

"I do."

"Save those words for another time… you know what I mean."

He had done his best to hide a certain purchase from her, but as he had known all along, timing never works for him, life is too unpredictable and his life had long since taken on a different meaning because of her, because of Helena. There is a familiar whoosh as they teleport via magic and then the car speeds up more, which throws Vic onto his back. The impact with the metal floor hurt more than he had been expecting though it no surprise in a speeding train. He can feel himself slipping out of consciousness. The previously open back door had also flown shut, which partially obstructs her teleport path.

"Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace" are the words that flow through his mind like so many other lines he had read in his life before she happen to him. In her presence, in her arms, he found incalculable affections, comforts, but most priceless of them is her love, her love for him, towards him, and more.

Nobody gets the happy ending, but that doesn't mean happiness is lost to us when one realizes the only certainty in living is uncertainty though often life and more so love can surprise anyone even someone like Vic. So we chase dreams and hide nightmares, but then for some there is no way to separate the two in one's memories.

Eve reappears near the unconscious Vic and with another whoosh they are back with the others aboard the 'Bug'. Once they are inside it, Jamie starts to manually throttle the compact plane back in order to put distance between them and the subway cars as well as the impending explosion. Helena and Eve gently lift Vic then place him in one of the back seats. He is babbling something and to her it sounds like another quote though not one she had heard from him before.

"_Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person." _mumbles Vic.

She would look for it later because right now he is hurt and as usual she wouldn't leave him to face this alone. She made a promise she sought to keep with him and it held more meaning to her than the one she made after her parents were murdered when she was a little girl.

"In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream," whispers Helena.

She had taken up quoting around him and she notes a compact box in his trench coat pocket. She did not expect them to near this possibility so soon, but often she felt like they had always been in some ways. A ring held a symbolic significance to what they held for each other yet to her all the 'little things' between them would always be worth more to her than anything else. His eyes flicker open and he notes the smile on her face.

"You were quoting something when Eve and I lifted you to the chair," says Helena.

"You sure about that?" asks Vic.

"This is me you are talking to here. I think myself rather good at reading the way you talk."

"Not that I doubt you, but I was thinking of quotes before I hit my head on the floor of the subway car."

A muffled explosion echoes back through the tunnels as the subway finally hit the concrete barrier at the end of the line. Jamie flies the 'Bug' back through the breach he made to bring it down into the tunnels in the first place. He pilots it back to the clouds and goes into stealth mode with the hopes that they can make it back to Charlton without incident. He would forward their discoveries to Terrific at the Watchtower and he could relay it to the Metro Tower.

* * *

The 'Bug' is halfway back to Charlton when the com-system goes off.

"Blue Beetle," says Terrific.

"Yes Mr. Terrific," replies Beetle.

"I am afraid I have to call you and the others back into the field. We have got situations happening across the board including Gotham and Smallville."

"We'll head to Gotham, it is closer to us. Who can be sent to Smallville?"

"I am dispatching Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Vigilante, and Shining Knight. I have Arrow and Canary on standby. The Founders aren't due back until later. I wish somebody would let me alert them to the situation, but then I suppose the point of the others taking up temporary Founder type duty is the point of this situation."

"We'll get through this… just do what you usually do."

"Right… update me when you can and let me know if you need backup."

* * *

The 'Bug' descends towards Gotham and somehow they were having another Arkham breakout as well as one originating at Stonegate. It did not look good especially with the GCPD facing most of Batman's Rogues without Batman. Nightwing however is arriving from Bludhaven and Robin is out covering some ground whereas Batgirl appears to be back on her albeit a little shaky. Her legs were improving, but she relies somewhat more on the gadgetry for now. Blue Beetle drops out through the underbelly hatch of the 'Bug' and Nightshade joins him as they find an unexpected lesser known rogue starting fires.

Firefly is back in Gotham looking to torch the city naturally.

The rogues appear to be attacking sections of the city at random, but what looks random to everyone else, does not look quite like that to Question. His head is still sore from the bump less than an hour ago, but he still had enough resilience to ignore the pain though he knows he will still have to have it checked out.

None of the rogues have ever found out Batman's secret identity with the exception of Strange, but nobody believes him because Bruce in a stroke of genius made a fake tape using Strange's machine against him in the process.

"How many times do we have to find ourselves tangling with these guys?" snaps Huntress.

"Every time they break out is the short answer, the longer one is something I can't concentrate on spelling out right now," remarks Question.

"I don't think you should be out here with a head injury Q," insists Huntress.

"It looks worse than it feels," responds Question.

It didn't help to ignore what his skull was telling him nor what Huntress felt necessary to tell him either, but if this new breakout ties into the plan already in motion by Lord then he could not wait on the side lines.

"Wait… what's with the smoke way over there… Wayne Manor is on fire?!"

Question saw it too and as much he did not want to 'borrow' the 'Bug', they had no other way to cover the distance between them and the Manor by ground. Beetle notes his airplane racing away from his present location, but for now he had more important things to attend as Riddler comes charging at him with his trademark cane. As for Nightshade, she is kept busy by Roxy Rocket, and so Gotham descends into a rolling street fight that had not been seen in years if one was counting back to when Batman and Joker first 'met' though gang wars were not nearly this messy to some.

* * *

Huntress and Question race across the circle drive path at the front of the manor to find Alfred fighting off members of a street gang looking to make a bigger reputation for themselves by breaking into Wayne Manor. Pennyworth is not fairing too well so an intervention is necessary and the butler witnesses as his attackers come under assault from the last two people he thought would be saving his life, but then the butler takes it in stride. He does however go over to the gang leader and hits him with a broom. The same broom he had been using to vainly deflect the gang members attacking him only moments ago.

"So uncivilized though I am immensely grateful for the save," admits Alfred.

"Glad to help. Going after such a standup man like you, its despicable," remarks Huntress.

"Right you are… Batman was rather beside himself after he saw the news of the mass breakouts… it is just not heard of… somebody let them out on purpose… why else black out Gotham?"

"Pennyworth get inside, lock everything, the only way any of us getting inside is you letting us in or through the cove inlet," says Question.

"Practical decision… good luck."

Before Question and Huntress head out again, they tie up the gang then leaving them hanging upside on the trees outside the manor.

"Let that be a lesson to you. Don't let a breakout go to your head," cracks Question.

They all look to be seething, but neither Huntress or Question would stick around to watch them pass out with the blood rush to the head.

Question realizes the ghosts will have to wait for another time, but he had caught a scary glimpse of the past in barely making to the manor in time to save the butler from the fate that had taken another life before his eyes years ago.

* * *

_His mother being a Russian never made life easy for her even back home if he had gotten that much from her stories. She didn't believe the paranoia spoken out by both sides though she felt it would be a better life for her little Charles in America as she told him when he was older, but then like back home; the small town mentality almost got the better of her._

_His father's home land went from an occupation by the Nazis to falling into the grips of the Soviet Union. As he found much later, Wiktor Szasz had given his all to get his only and his beloved wife out of the country before the political situation worsened less than two decades after the end of the war. So mother and son went from a politically troubled Poland to a socially turbulent America. The people that were the kindest to her and to him were often the ones that were likewise treated poorly by a majority of the town. His earliest friend in town was a girl named Gemma which means gem or jewel._

_It felt odd to think about Gemma after all these years, but she was the first friend he had when they had come across the Atlantic. What happened to Gemma was something he did not like to think about, but she was the reason why he couldn't let harm come to Helena. His mother had been naturally enraged at what her attacker did to her and sympathetic to her son trying to protect the girl from further harm except he couldn't save her. The injury she got only hours before she died was more fatal than either he or she thought it to be at the time._

_The same inconsolable state hung over him when his mother would pass away many years after Gemma's death. People die all the time, but even Vic could not help feeling responsible when he thought he could have done something about it._

* * *

Huntress flies the 'Bug' as they head towards a deployment of riot police holding the line against the Stonegate inmates. It would be a much longer night than he or she felt like facing, but then this is what they do when they have to and because no one else will do it, with the exception of the cops down there.

* * *

A/N 1: The extent of Schneider's ties to Lord come to light as well as how the team brought together by Lord's corporate associations is playing off the physical or psychological edges they have on their counterpart in the League. There is still concern that they continue to fail to anticipate Question and Huntress.

A/N 2: Destiny references events from the JL episode **Only A Dream**. Luthor did augmentations on various villains while a part of Grodd's co-op yet he also retained the ability to sabotage their enhancements. However with Luthor out of the picture, nobody can do that unless they discover what Luthor kept secret from them.

A/N 3: The early Metro moments contrast against the later ones where the four are stuck on a speeding train. It is Jamie's inventiveness that gets them out of the tight spot with some magical assistance by Eve.

A/N 4: Lines quoted by Vic/Question and Helena/Huntress belong to four different dramatists (Shakespeare, O'Neill, Williams, and Pirandello). Considering how long it took me to write the last few chapters, this is the first one I finished in less than a day. When the writing is, let the story flow so to speak.

A/N 5: Gemma is Vic's Kitty Genovese, but with a more personal twist and more on my version of Charles Victor Szasz's personal history too. As for Question and Huntress saving Alfred from the gang attacking the manor, that's a nod to when Hollis Mason was killed by a gang. In Alfred's case he is saved in the nick of time, which in my mind is preferred. I'm not that 'good' at 'on-stage' deaths, so as they say in theater, character dies off-stage.


	28. Valkyries

**Hub City – Circa 2003**

_Many think of time travel as it exists in fiction. A method for traversing time, both forward and backward though of course many also believe time travel is not without consequences and rules. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern all saw the time traveler known to them as both Chronos and David Clinton. The first time they met him he is attempting to steal one of Batman's spare utility belts and naturally Chronos might ramble on about how nobody is supposed to see him during his trips to the past/present as he is from the present/future. Chronos opens a portal and disappears into the time tunnel. His passage is likely smoother than it is for the trio pursuing him though they do not know they have gone into a time tunnel.

* * *

_

The Founders' previous experience with time travel had come when the six who went on a deep space mission finally made it back after a long battle. It is either coincidence or fortune that Lantern's ring still had enough power to insulate them from the shock wave that they saw coming up from the surface. The most glaring change that comes in the wake of the shock wave is that the Watchtower is gone yet a space station of its size cannot so easily vanish from existence. The disorientation does not end there yet the five aboard the _Javelin Seven_ during that event were made into temporal 'orphans' due to the Lantern Ring unknowingly making a temporal barrier around the ship. The barrier also contains Green Lantern, so he and the others witness the outer edge of the time line shift.

* * *

**Gotham City - Circa 2000 - (STE)  
**

There is no other alternative except to land somewhere to gauge the full extent what the shock wave did to Earth. As they descend, it becomes increasingly obvious that something is more than just wrong from their perspective and they land in Gotham because Wonder Woman suggests finding Batman ought to be a priority. Superman privately recalls a conversation he had with Lois as Clark some years before when she spoke of transferring to the Planet's bureau in Gotham, but that never happen, particularly after she had become privy to Bruce being Batman.

Her discovery of that is purely accidental as his cowl got caught in a printing press at the Metropolis main bureau of the _Daily Planet_. He admits to himself he had been briefly jealous of Bruce due to the attention Lois was showing him until the two of them separately found out Bruce Wayne is Batman. Lois's attention is later drawn back to Superman and Clark though there is little doubt that she probably feigns not knowing the connection between her Smallville partner and her Kryptonian rescuer. Superman had already taken tentative steps towards a romance with Lois, and she continues to reciprocate and so he felt confident that he finally found a way to have a love life despite or in spite of the costume.

Superman and Batman knowingly had to partner up as Joker was working with Luthor at the time, but the intentions of their association never came to fruition as the heroes manage to foil the purpose entirely. The two went their separate ways though would continue to cross paths over the years prior to forming the first roster of the Justice League. Superman had his first run in with Ra's Al-Ghul, which led to him having some of his life force taken in a ritual by Ra's though Batman's intervention kept Ra's from draining too much. Whereas Bruce found himself under the control of Brainiac as the twisted machine kept coming back like a mechanical cockroach and again the said Rogue's plan does not succeed.

The present is not as they remember it, but again the consequences of time travel related events. Superman likely notices that the familiar Saturn shaped globe above the _Daily Planet _Gotham Bureau is now instead that of a hand gripping a globe.

It is the _Daily Planet _G.B_._, just not the Daily Planet G.B. he remembers, and then there are the banners hanging from lampposts. They soon find a poster with an unfamiliar man's face on it. Flash draws the attention of men who look like they are police officers, but again the uniforms are not those of the GCPD uniforms that Superman knows. Their attempt to defend themselves only draws more police to the scene. Their escape route is brought to them by a man who sounds and acts similar to Batman, but again this is not the Batman the six have dealt with before. His intervention is timely and they withdraw back to an underground sanctuary.

* * *

This version of Batman had grown up in this alternate time line, which began with the Allies' defeat at Normandy as the countless troop transports, paratroopers, and other military assets were fully wiped once they made landfall. The Regime had them technologically outmatched and with that edge they drove the Allies back to the brink of defeat and then the Regime turned its sights on the Americas though in particular North America. The invasion force broke through the cordons by air and sea as again the Regime proves its technological prowess as the aircraft and naval assets obliterate the American's defenses within weeks. It is the biggest defeat in American military history and so America had to give up the Pacific in order to shore up their numbers yet even this cannot stave off total defeat.

The General as his operatives call him reminds the six that since the defeat at Normandy, the Regime occupies North and South America as well as most of Europe. Russia and Japan divide the Far East between themselves whereas Italy dominates the bulk of nations closest to it by geography, which includes several nations that border the Mediterranean Sea. The four superpowers still jockey for position, but again the Regime is still ahead of the curve thus keeping the other three in check with the fear of nuclear annihilation. However there are those who resist within all four nations and this sanctuary here houses one of several cells that operate out of both Gotham and Metropolis.

This network of cells has been in place for almost fifty years though it is only in the past decade that the General and other cell leaders have had the means to conduct mission strikes against the Regime, but their successes have been few and far between from the start. It is however likely not in the General's nature to give up on freeing Gotham from the Regime, which made him just a little more like the Batman they know yet all the same he is not the Batman they know in their present. He shares with them how his parents were murdered by an officer who led a squad of Regime Stormtroopers into his home. Similarities of the Batman's past and the General's past are hard to ignore for some who know what happen to Bruce Wayne's parents in their present. He also tells them that family assassinations are not uncommon to this day thanks to the secret police alternately known as the Gestapo.

It is agreed that they will go to investigate the source of the disturbance. The General's team goes ahead of them while the General sticks close to them. The General's confusion at why they fail to recognize Savage's name is natural to him for he is a part of this time line why they are not. Savage is unknown to them simply they did not encounter him in their time line though they would meet him soon enough. The six with help from Batman's team, the Outsiders, breach the research facility's interior. It is no mean to infiltrate a place like this and it is a great risk for the General as like his operatives are definitely sought after by the Regime's agents. The General had the longest running survival streak of any Regime target, but this is attributable to the extent of his training, which he made sure to pass onto each of the Outsiders.

They discover a temporal vortex and the window for travel is only two days in length so if they could not return before the second day ends then they would be stuck in the past, which is likely something that none of the six look forward when they stand read to dive into it. The General insists upon remaining because he believes in the event that they do not succeed someone must remain to continue the push towards liberation from the Regime. Wonder Woman takes a long look back at him before diving in after her teammates and it is clear that this might have another link in the chain to Diana learning the identity by the man under the cowl.

As for her and the others they drop out of the vortex in the ruins of a train station somewhere in France. There is no doubting when and where they are though one had to wonder why they had come of the vortex here as well as what being here meant.

* * *

_On the one hand, time travel means traveling through space and time from one point to another with the intention of arriving at a destination in the past yet how does the traveler determine where or when they will arrive at the end of the time jump?_

_On the other hand, time travel like any form of travel is not terribly precise so the traveler might not end exactly where or when the traveler intends to go, which means the traveler could arrive earlier or later than the traveler intends by way of the jump.

* * *

_

**Caen, France – June 1944**

Whatever the case is, the six had come out of the vortex and into the midst of Operation: Overlord, which in the time line they belong to is the military operation that eventually led to downfall of the Regime in 1945. However the present they just saw is the result of someone altering the past so that Operation Overlord fails thus enabling the Regime to secure its grip on Europe then move on to occupy the Americas. The six join the battle yet that is also when they first glimpse of what history will call War Wheels and inside them J'onn discovers computer technology, which is inconsistent with the hardware level of the nations fighting in World War Two.

It is clear evidence of future technology being put to use to turn the tide of war, but still they had no lead on who is responsible for this occurrence. J'onn decides to head for Berlin and Wonder Woman goes with him leaving Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl to bolster the defenses that are providing the cover for the Allies to fall back to the beach. The withdrawal is already not following the events as they happen in the previous time line, the time line that led to the present that the six had seen briefly only hours earlier from their perspective.

[+]

**Berlin, Germany - June 1944**

Word of costume heroes with supernatural abilities had already gotten through to the heart of the Regime yet Savage dismisses it as Allied Propaganda. There are several explosions nearby and then in a nearby airfield an agile man leaps a fence then proceeds to 'borrow' a Messerschmitt after decking a soldier guarding the hangar. He is quickly in the air except more Messerschmitts start to take off after him and a dogfight quickly ensues. The spy manages to gun down one of his pursuers, but the other riddles his wings with bullets setting his plane on fire. He pulls the burning plane upward then curves back down towards the other fighter and jettisons out with a parachute.

Both planes explode when his recently ditched plane collides with it. There were other enemy planes nearby, but for some reason their pilots had to abandon them after J'onn took vital parts of them by phasing said parts out of the inside of the planes.

The spy falls rapidly towards the ground though a piece of debris hits him before he can pull his cord yet luckily for him Wonder Woman goes into a dive after him. She catches him before the sudden stop at the end of his plunge literally made a dig into the earth. J'onn joins Diana below with her new friend who identifies himself as Steve Trevor. Trevor also claims he has in his possession the means to alert the Allies to the specifics of the invasion, which means someone has to get him away from this to the rendezvous with a code breaker as all messages are sent in codes. The one being used by Savage in particular is very difficult to break though not impossible.

Diana decides to see Steve safely to his code breaker while J'onn continues alone to Berlin.

[+]

**Regime Headquarters, Berlin, Germany – June 1944**

J'onn slips into the central structure with ease as his phase changing and shifting power is like having access without keys. He eventually finds a laptop hidden deep within the stronghold and also discovers a human male in what resembles cryogenic stasis. Savage clearly must have had to remove any opponents to his plans, which must have included this man. The Martian however too mindful of his discovers does not realize someone knows he is here and all he feels next is an electrical shock. He passes out instantly.

_The laptop is how Savage had done all this, but to what end?_

[+]

**France – June 1944**

Lantern's ring eventually goes dead and Flash is unable to locate him. Flash likely displays signs of loyalty to Lantern, but Hawkgirl while still upset to leave Lantern behind, reminds Flash that the casualties could have been higher without them here to assist the withdrawal. Flash still protests though not as much as he had earlier, not that the Thanagarian and the Kryptonian could blame him for not wanting to leave Lantern behind at a time like this. It would be cliche to say it comes with the 'territory' of being a costume hero. The commanders among these soldiers both able and hurt daily involve having to make life and death decisions.

The next crisis is an inbound flight of enemy fighter planes so Superman and Hawkgirl turn their attention to them. The two make short work of them though one pilot nearly gets a lucky shot on Hawkgirl. Before long a flight of red planes with bird emblems dive into the mix and provide cover for Hawkgirl as she continues to attack enemy fighters and eventually the remaining planes scramble out of the zone. Superman likely made some sort of sentimental comment about their airborne backup and Hawkgirl likely had something equally cute for a response. Their relief is the Blackhawk Squadron, which compromises of pilots from countries occupied by the Regime. Their flight leader calls him self Blackhawk and he appears to impress Hawkgirl the most.

Together the trio and the Blackhawks had given more than enough cover fire to prevent the Regime from wiping out the landing forces at Normandy, but still they had lost considerable fighting strength. The trio offers up their assistance to Blackhawk and he is more than open to taking it so they turn their attention to what latest reconnaissance believes is the origin of the Regime's new war machines as well something worse if the rumors be true. The Blackhawks, Superman, Hawkgirl, and Flash head for Blackhawk Island before organizing a tactical forecast for a two prong assault on the factory.

[+]

**Easy Company, Mission: S&D, France – June 1944**

Elsewhere Green Lantern John Stewart is again finding that his Marine training is coming in handy. The field C.O. of the squad unofficially recruits Stewart and then they head off to find an enemy airfield. It is however a long trip on foot for Easy Company, but their mission as Allied Command put it is one of many that are of the utmost importance to victory. Sergeant Rock and his commandos understood the significance when the briefing officer told them this is where we believe the invasion is launching from and they were quick to volunteer for it. Rock took getting to and disabling the airfield to be more important than fighting Regime infantrymen, but still they had plenty of defenses to bypass.

It might be fortuitous or foolish that he chose to bring the Marine into their unit, but he realizes he needs all the bodies he can throw at this plus Stewart had been able to knock down Bulldozer, which is next to impossible for anyone. However Bulldozer does not have a high opinion of the new guy considering that he fought off Regime with nothing more than what Bulldozer calls a fancy ring. Rock sends Wildman to grenade the machine gun emplacements ahead of them, but a sniper hits Wildman just after the commando pulls the pin. Rock races over knowing leaving a man next to a live grenade to be a serious screw-up and he closes the distance yet hears the crack of a rifle behind him.

Stewart shot the sniper, Bulldozer probably wants to deck him for not shooting the Nazi before he shot Wildman, but at this point not having to worry about the sniper is a relief. They continue while the squad medic tends to Wildman. There are one too many hills in the region ahead and according to the crudely drawn map the airfield is somewhere in the hills so they had to be quick given that the airborne invasion force is going to be leaving by tomorrow morning if not sooner.

_The heroes had they somehow found ways to unknowingly place themselves at critical pathways? If so then the Allies could find the routes that would lead to a future where they would win the war._

[+]

**Regime Headquarters, Berlin, Germany – June 1944**

J'onn awakens to find himself face to face with Vandal Savage. Savage refers to him as the Übermensch yet likely expresses surprises at the appearance of the one he perceives to be the Übermensch. He plays a recording from the laptop and learns that an older Savage had sent this technology to the Savage standing before him. It is noticeable to J'onn that the two look practically identical and he likely says as such to Savage who probably saw that one coming given Savage's secret. J'onn learns why the older Savage sent the laptop and the schematics as the older one made the conclusion that World War Two is the last opportunity for Savage to achieve world domination.

It is probable that the Martian found Savage's agenda to be petty or at the very least he knows he must prevent Savage's plan from succeeding as it had in the previous time line. Savage leaves as another man enters, Savage identifies the newcomer as Josef, a Regime interrogator, but it would be too late when they learn that Josef's efforts to torture J'onn were the man's undoing from a psychological standpoint. It would his screams, not J'onn's that they heard a short time later. J'onn had to disguise himself in order to escape the building after destroying the laptop. J'onn left an extra 'surprise' by leaving Josef in the shackles that Savage put on him. The Martian also knows he must hurry to catch up with the others now that he knows what Savage is using to provide the speed for the invasion force bound not for England, but something much bigger, say the Americas starting with the Northern continent.

[+]

**France – June 1944**

Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman turn an ambush into an ambush, but that is likely more attributable to Wonder Woman given her super powers, but Trevor surprises her more than a few times since diving out of a plane. One had to wonder who is he reminding her of especially when he kisses her, but Steve is quite the charmer too if the ladies back home could say anything for him. They learn of the code breaker's location so they go by air as she carries him. They eventually reach the prison and break the code breaker out, but he warns them they put him here in order to ambush Trevor because of him stealing the communicator.

Wonder Woman takes the outer shell off the communicator then leaves it out in the open before having Steve and Ernst hide under the mattress while she will be holding up the rubble that is sure to fall on them once the War Wheel are done with pulverizing the prison. The searchers take the bait and after they depart Wonder Woman extracts herself with the men from the wreckage. Ernst is a German citizen, but as Wonder Woman is bound to learn that even in wars there are objectors on both sides. The trio finds a bunker with a working radio setup and Ernst starts working through to break the codes with his cipher.

_The kicker is Operation: Endgame is Savage's final thrust to occupy not England, but the Americas because it is the United States that bolsters the Allies' drive to Berlin by the liberation of France._

[+]

**Blackhawks, War Machines Factory**

Superman, Hawkgirl, and Flash arrive on site ahead of the Blackhawks. Superman while being bullet proof, still felt the surge of metal rounds hitting his chest while Hawkgirl pulverizes the machine gun emplacements with her mace. Flash slips into the factory and slams the evacuation alarm before imploring the workers to leave to the factory immediately in order to minimize civilian casualties from the impending bombing run. The factory is quickly leveled not long after and they discover what exactly they were building here, which unsurprisingly accounts for why the Regime made such a rapid foothold in the U.S.

Flash makes a long dash out to the naval vessels off the coast of France in order to warn them of the troop transport planes that would be heading across the Atlantic to invade America. Superman and Hawkgirl take flight with the Blackhawks not far behind them. The fact that battle is turning back in favor of the Allies is owed in Blackhawk's mind to the appearance of these costumed heroes, but then to those in the air or on the ground they might seem larger than life. However to Blackhawk, he could tell they were doing this because something bigger than them was riding on the outcome of this operation. He might never know how right that assessment is, but then the only that matters to him is to keep flying, keep fighting, and not leave the squadron until all their homelands are free of the Regime.

**Allies Battle Group, Atlantic Ocean**

The ships scramble into formation in order to maximum the firing spread. Flash undoubtedly worked up quite an appetite after running about all night and the crew is more than willing to provide a meal to the scarlet speedster.

[+]

**Easy Company, Mission: S & D, France**

Bulldozer falls through a weak spot in the camouflage and it proves Stewart's theory about the artificial hill as it is not on the map drawn up the search area. The squad advances towards the hidden runway to discover the Paratroopers and the War Wheels are already loading into massive cargo planes that have afterburners built into their wings, which to Stewart is definitely technology in the wrong era. As the squad prepares to attack a government car enters and out steps Savage. It appears he is on hand to personally lead the invasion.

The squad attacks and one of Savage's underlings is gun down in the process along with a few Stormtroopers. Savage rushes up the ramp and orders the crews to begin the launch immediately. The massive planes begin the roll to take off. Stewart 'borrows' a motorcycle to propel himself towards the retracting landing gear of the plane that Savage is aboard. The squad covers what could be considered a suicide tactic, but somehow former Marine John Stewart is on his way to sabotage the invasion's lead plane.

**Regime Airborne Invasion Night-flight, France **

Stewart works his way through the plane's innards while breaking everything he saw, which would likely draw attention before long, but anything to slow down, maybe even take Savage's plane down with him. He would only get so far before the Stormtroopers drag him all the way up to cockpit and to waiting Vandal Savage. He had no idea how much damage was done before they found him, but he hopes it is enough. Savage comes at him with a metal gloved hand and all he knows next is intense pain in all the nerves in his upper body. All these tools and technology from the future could not prevent where all the pathways had been converging for the past day and a half.

The plane rocks as the crewmen on station notice shelling coming from naval vessels below. The damage to the plane brought it low enough to be vulnerable to shelling because while the designs may be from the future, the material in its construction is still circa 1940s, which is handy to say the least. Savage and Stewart trade blows as the troop transports sustain blows from the artillery barrages.

**Blackhawk, Mission: Pursuit & Destroy R.A.I.N**

Superman, Hawkgirl, and J'onn all continue to push themselves to limit though for Superman traveling at high velocities is not as difficult. Hawkgirl's ability to keep up is half her wings and the other half her determination to ensure the present-future returns to its previous state. The three of them are however not enough to bring down all of them, but soon enough Wonder Woman arrives ready to crush some planes. The naval barrage and the four of them manage to destroy more than half the planes heading across the Atlantic and the stragglers turn back only to be shot up by the Blackhawks.

However it is in the midst of all this that J'onn discovers John Stewart is aboard the lead plane, which is plummeting rapidly towards the water. He takes a direct blast from weapons fire, but Hawkgirl catches him on the way down. He alerts her to the fact that Lantern, that Stewart is still alive so immediately she does a swan dive towards the lead plane and smashes the forward window. She and John barely make it away from the plane as it crashes into the water.

**Caen, France **

The six return to the train station where they had come through from the future and chose to leave as anonymously as possible though their departure is seen by the Blackhawks and the Easy Company though neither group knows what to make of it. As for Steve Trevor, he would have to wait another sixty odd years before he would see his 'Angel' again. Operation: Overlord succeeds and so begins Operation: Cobra, which is a prelude to all the operations that will follow and lead to the Regime's defeat or so the Allies are hoping for such an outcome.

The Regime begins to reject much of Savage's technology in the months that follow and they even bring Hitler out of stasis to once again lead them, but all he will do is lead them to their own destruction.

* * *

_The future is mutable? It is doubtful because it is suspect that the time line is self-correcting. _

_The Allies' success at Normandy is a paradox? Savage sends laptop back. Overlord fails due to Savage's future technology. Green Lantern's ring barrier isolates the six from the time shift. The six discover the vortex and use to travel back. Events on every level proceed differently from how they did in the previous time line, which the six were not in as they were still in the alternate present. The presence of the six reverses outcomes across the board though most critical of all is preventing the success of Operation: Endgame and preserving Operation: Overlord._

_The present-future is not as it was two time lines ago, but in returning to the present the six travelers' probably memories shift to account for the variant time line they made by preventing Savage's success at Normandy and assisting in the destruction of his airborne invasion deployment planes.

* * *

_

**Maxwell Lord's Office, Lexcorp Main Office, Metropolis - Present Day  
**

Question and Huntress broke into Lord's office with relative ease, but it is after hours. The paper trail with Twilight Corporation indirectly led back to Lord, but then it didn't too much digging to find it. The riots were brought to an end only hours ago, but still undoing mental tampering is no easy feat even for J'onn J'onzz. Destiny had a hand in the riots by triggering the nightmare manifestations of thousands though he also had help from Scarecrow and Mad Hatter for starters too.

Huntress takes her time finding a way to unlock the safe in Lord's office and she pulls out an old leather bound book. He opens it to find the paper within in remarkable shape for its age, but then treat a book right and it could last forever or at least a few centuries. Pulp paper is an entirely different story though. The book is a journal written almost a hundred and thirty years ago and its author is a man named David Clinton.

* * *

**Elkhorn, Oklahoma – January 18, 1879 – David Clinton Journal**

_Time travel isn't science fiction though it has always been written as such, but I found out people were experimenting were crude time machines or portals in the past yet they hit upon some sort of technological limitations. I used up all my connections to gather materials to construct my own portable time machine, which is how I began building the chrono-suit. My first tests were to travel back a few minutes, then a couple hours, next a few days, and from there I went back further though I always made certain to return after I left to avoid my anxiety about paradoxes._

_I started leaving the future to build my collection using the chrono-suit. I would store what I took in the garage, but I was starting to run out of room. Enid as usual got into her condescending mode after I told her that indeed I had the means to travel through time. I made a point of insisting that I could not use the suit for financial gain and that's when I start to think why on Earth could I be basing my collection gathering method on the theories about time travel put forward by a film trilogy made back in the 20__th__ Century. However it did strike me as sound principle even if could be total nonsense. I took things that wouldn't be missed, but of course she had to drag me down like me lacking spine._

_Sometimes I wonder what I saw in her all those years ago, but then she was less bitter then and my career possibilities had such potential. Of course when I finally got to the point where I could make tenure they shut me down and said my experiments to design a functional time machine were 'crazy'. Next she brought up that lawyer I had to compete with when we were dating, and then she mentions he remains the favorite of her. She really piles on the insults and I finally had enough of her putting me down so I left via time portal to resume gathering for my collection._

_My attempt to snatch that spare utility belt only brought the attention of its owner to me along with Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. I made a portal by inputting a command to take me as far away from them as I could get except I had a feeling they might follow me, but so far they have yet to appear here. However I think I could have chosen a better place to send myself back to because of course now I am stuck handling all this technology that Tobias Manning has been taking from the future. I can scarcely recognize myself anymore with all this facial hair. It looks as if my dependence on creature comforts of my own time has gotten the best of me._

**February 11, 1879**

_Whenever Tobias doesn't need my assistance he locks me in a cell in the sheriff office's backroom. He had run the real sheriff out of town not long after he got my chrono-suit's belt. The inventor of a time machine stuck working for a 19__th__ Century criminal and I have to wonder if time doesn't have a sense of humor though there I go attributing human qualities to something that's not tangible. _

_I thought Gotham winters were bitter, but out here in the past without so much as a heater it is colder than I ever thought possible, but then in order to keep me alive and healthy they had some amenities made available to me as well clothing suitable to the weather. There isn't much chance of overpowering Manning or his buddies so I believe I will be waiting for Batman to come looking for me if he and the other two did indeed follow me into the past. Batman is historically known to be relentless, but then decades of absence did little for the facts. All most people knew is that he just stopped turning up after foiling the attempted murder of Bunny Vreeland._

_I couldn't believe the shake in my voice when I was speaking to the Batman just after I got my hands on one of his spare utility belts. The guy did little more than demand an answer out of me and I barely managed to concentrate long enough to punch in the command to activate a time portal to 1879 as I had some items I though of taking from the late 19__th__ Century. This however led to be me being robbed by Tobias Manning. In a way I was already something of a thief though I was 'borrowing' from the past, not gaining by exploiting knowledge of future events or stealing wealth from the past either._

**April 14, 1879**

_The town's people are little more than slaves nowadays and so far no law enforcement types of this time have tried to take Tobias down. However there's some redhead making quite a 'ruckus' at the saloon as he appears to be trying to work his way up to a card game with Tobias. He just might get it, but then few people ever survive their first encounter with Tobias unless you have something he wants that only you can give him. This is why I am still alive after spending much of the last four months in this damn cell, but of course my entries vary or so I can tell though most days I feel lucky if I can think straight, get something to eat, and also get water. Anything else in this town is disgusting to me, but again my taste in alcohol was never very strong even with drinks that were imitation alcohol in the future. _

_Four months here almost makes me long for the future even if it means going back to my nagging wife, but first I had to get my suit back as well as the belt. So far Tobias has not taken enough to pollute the time stream, but I am beginning to wonder if any of that Back To The Future hokey is true anymore. He has taken three times as much as I did before ending up here and so far like I already said nothing has happen to destroy the space time continuum._

_I am academic, not a fighter so if I am to ever get my technology back I have to bid my time, but how much more time could I just waste sitting on my hands. I begin to pray of all things for Batman to appear and get me out of this mess. I almost 'stole' from him and now I am expecting some future costume hero to save my sorry self. The sheriff was thrown out of town so that excludes getting local law help so that's where a time tossed hero becomes my only salvation. Enid would be dying of laughter if she could see me now, but I'll show her, I'll show them even the Batman._

**May 13, 1879**

"_It is my town and my rules." – Tobias Manning_

_Manning has all the tools, the weapons, and the means to uphold his only rule, which is what a lot of people find out the hard way in Elkhorn._

_The less than shrewd redhead from out of town is now in the cell next to mine. He appears to be under the delusion then he can escape Tobias' intention to have him executed at dawn tomorrow. Manning has no use as he would put it to keep the redhead alive, but somehow it would take a miracle to save that kid's life. I have been here five months and my first almost cellmate is someone who got cheated out by Tobias, but again not surprising. Manning cheats and uses everybody even me, especially me._

_I told him the window bars are cheap pig iron and nothing breaks that unless you got something to melt it with or better yet tear it clean away from the mortar. I kept reminding him of how pointless it would be because all my attempts, random as they were never got me any closer to freedom or my belt, but the kid is young, thinks the impossible is possible._

**May 13, 1879 (cont.)**

_Manning's stooge had come around telling us to shut up, but then a green ghost basically spooks him. I had seen that kind of special effect too many darn times in the future to know it was a trick and probably Green Lantern John Stewart doing it. The fool ran himself into a mortar brick wall, which knocked him out cold. The dark haired man looks like the old holo-images of Bruce Wayne before his company got taken over by that snake Powers, which meant one thing Batman is Bruce Wayne though how many others before me have thought that?_

_Plenty I'm sure and the woman that took the cell door off its hinges is unmistakably Wonder Woman._

_The redhead slated to be executed calls himself Bartholomew Aloysius Lash aka Bat-Lash._

_As for my time traveling pursuers they provide a 'hokey' story about where they are from instead of obviously wrecking history by exposing when they are from, but of course the so-called the 'criminal' were after is me. I told them about how I got here six months ago, how Tobias stole my technology, how he used future tech to take over Elkhorn. _

_Tobias had seen the advantage of installing security cameras in his 'places', which includes the sheriff's office and the cells behind where I have slept for the last six months.  
_

_I was literally living a western shoot out, which is far more authentic than any film reproduction, but again decades distort reality and so the fiction that replaces it is taken as genuine even when its probably way off in most respects. However one thing they occasionally got right was the timely save at the last possible moment._

_Wayne already knocked the 'deputy' who regained consciousness just after we started on our way out. Bat-Lash's 'cavalry' took down Manning's goons outside with precision that could rival the Justice League. It didn't matter what century I was in as heroes could always impress me, but it didn't mean I had qualms about exploiting them to get my belt back, which I did quite well._

**May 14, 1879**

_The team of heroes past and future managed to defeat Tobias despite all the hardware he had amassed, but again no great surprise to me. Sheriff Ohiyesa Smith personally takes down Tobias given that Manning personally drove him out of town in the process of taking it over. Before that as I found out Smith quite regularly drove Manning away because he had neither tools or brains to beat Smith. This fight merely levels the playing field again and soon enough I will be returning to my present-future. It has been a learning experience, but I am done with living the past, I am about to own the past through my even larger collection._

_Jonah Hex is the only one from this time to suggest that the three lawmen from back East that were after me were not from back east, but rather they were time travelers though Wayne admits nothing. You could expect that from him, plausible deniability and all that.

* * *

_

**Vic Sage's apartment, Hub City - Present Day  
**

There are two different accounts about the six month period starting in 1879. One portrays a rather almost typical day to day life in Elkhorn while the other portrays a long path of struggle for law enforcement to retake Elkhorn from Tobias Manning. The second account technically should not exist in accordance with the idea that preventing the traveler from making the trip in the first should erase the time line that took place that led to the second account. The only problem is that many could attest later to encountering three unidentified lawmen from back East and there was the matter of a man called David Clinton. However there are no records of a David Clinton living in Elkhorn in 1879.

Question closes a journal written by David Clinton back in 1879. He had been skimming entries tonight because he felt as if he had little time to waste considering that Maxwell Lord had so far been ahead of him at every turn. It becomes imperative to unravel where the next move will be made before it is too late to at the very least catch up to the alleged renegade Illuminatus. Clinton's last entries all center around duplicity, around getting the belt back, and resuming his collecting, but then being stuck in a Midwestern town in the 19th Century had clearly begun to bother Clinton. The man was from the future, he didn't belong there, but he was there and all the same his journal remains as well.

Everything else about Clinton's six month stint in Elkhorn ceases to exist except the journal and that scar on John Stewart's head that mysteriously appeared in the middle of a commissary meal that he was sharing with Batman.

Question also had to wonder how did John get that cut, what did Batman say to cause him to smile for no apparent reason, and why did it feel like déjà vu when he thought back to that day, which happen before he found himself up to his neck with Cadmus. He recalls experiencing a headache, which is not uncommon for his sleeping habits yet the pain felt more like conflicting memories of the same scene.

In one instance Bruce and John appear to be chatting about the women in their lives, the ones they love, but won't pursue at that time.

In another Bruce and John talk quietly of having won something, but everything precedes differently than 'before'.

* * *

_**Shayera leaves without a glance at John.**__ Shayera glares at John for gawking at her then turns to leave without looking back. __**John is laidback and drinking his coffee.**__ John's forehead is cut and he gawks at Shayera. __**Diana appears after Shayera leaves, she flirts with Batman, but the three of them run off because of an intruder alert.**__ Diana sits down first, notices John's head injury, and goes on eating before Shayera leaves the commissary.

* * *

_

The only other evidence of a trip to the past and then to the future is when he accidentally overheard Shayera and John talking about a mission that he and Batman went on that eventually led them to the future where he met their son. Shayera sounds incredibly excited until John announces he is staying with Vixen because he holds no interest in being destiny's puppet. The Absorbacron experience had left Stewart shook up though Question could imagine it might be equally or greater in its emotional intensity for Shayera. She didn't invest in Carter Hall's tales that she is his reincarnated lover and the Absorbacron experience had made Hall abandon his initial overtures towards her because of Chay Ara's romance with Bashari.

He found out the names from Carter Hall who was more than willing to discuss the events because the other people that knew about the memories would likely not wish to discuss those events nor would he ask this of them.

* * *

_Time travel takes the mysteries out of life. In our search for answers, we believe we have found all answers except the ones to questions that we are bound to ask until the end. The questions of why am I here? What I am doing? Where am I going? Who I am? _

_They are all as daunting as the one that troubles those of who wear costumes yet still try to lead lives outside of them, which into the question of how do I do anything in life?_

_I find no constant answers to them, but then I look at her and they disappear from my mind for a time._

"She sleeps so soundly, but I doubt it is too peaceful except maybe she say I have that effect on her."

Helena's eyes flicker open and she sits up then makes a gesture with her index finger as if saying to him to come back to bed. He follows her wish.

* * *

Captain Atom hovers crossed legged on the moon.

Nightshade visits her mother's grave only to find flowers already there.

Blue Beetle repairs the 'Bug' in the underground garage.

* * *

Something else would 'answer' the tangent that involves the next stage of the plan set in motion with the murder of Ted Grant.

* * *

What nobody knows is that further north a beam blazes into the heavens and lights up the darkness of space. In space, the tower crumbles, there are no sounds except klaxons, there are no smells except smoke, and there is no time for friends with lives going out like candles that had their flames blown out. The dragons or rather the Javelins take flight with full passenger loads yet there is no relief to be had as not all can escape before the cold takes hold. Gravity drag tower shards from space to sky. There are untold many who quietly rail that this is not how they are to end.

The Watchtower is no more.

The League is more than it.

All the same the hour still approaches as clocks keep ticking.

The light flickers in the dark where bodies huddle together for warmth.

Javelins like dragons now carry their riders through space to Earth.

* * *

A/N 1: This chapter alternates between a bit of Rorschach journal and a bit of Under The Hood, which accounts for minimal dialogue. Plenty of internal monologues though. This is again not the first version of this chapter.

A/N 2: **The Savage Time**/**The Once and Future Thing** bear some relevance to the final moments of this chapter. More so with **The Once and Future Thing** (Watchtower's fate in that future). I admit the destruction sequence is abrupt and not very specific, but that's it (think **Flashpoint**).

A/N 3: Time travel has loopholes? Characters remembering time lines that technically didn't happen? A journal kept by a time traveler who never went back in time? I'll admit the third question is far fetched, but too often have time travel stories left any of us with headaches (be consistent?).

A/N 4: No idea while this chapter was based of events from time travel episodes, maybe due to my story based on **The Savage Time**. Also mentions of events from **The World's Finest**, **Demon Reborn**, and **Knight Time**, which were crossover episodes for StAS & TNBA.


	29. Twists

"If I were looking for a white rabbit, I'd ask the Mad Hatter."

"The Mad Hatter? Oh, no, no, no..."

"Or, you could ask the March Hare, in that direction."

"Oh, thank you. I think I'll see him..."

"Of course, he's mad, too."

"But I don't want to go among mad people!"

"Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone's mad here." – Cheshire Cat & Alice, _**Alice in Wonderland

* * *

**_

She felt like Alice more than once in her life and now is no exception to that feeling.

Nightshade…_Eve_… almost instantly saw that Lucas left the flowers. He isn't here now yet she is not alone. Blue Beetle had found her here. He had come by way of the 'Bug'. She could also feel Captain Atom's presence nearing her too. Suddenly she felt too old to have the two of them competing over her. She felt bad about the other night with Jamie. They were drunk, she was tipsy, he was flirty, both were still in costume until they started taking the other's costume off, and eventually were in bed together for hours.

She couldn't remember exactly how far it went, but when she awoke, he was still asleep and her body felt cold. A quick shower was in order and then she left without saying a word. She did not expect him to follow her here, let alone that he should know where here is, but the man had proven resourceful in tight situations. She felt like she might have cheated on Captain Atom…_Nathan_… though how could she when nothing other than kisses had happen between her and Nathan since Betty's death.

"We're being targeted for death and I am worrying about relationship issues?" exasperates Nightshade.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turns quickly with her palms glowing.

"Easy, I found out where they buried your mother. It is how I knew where to find this place and maybe find you again," says Blue Beetle.

The glow fades and her hands fall to her sides.

"I didn't ask you to follow me… last night…was…"

"We were drinking… you…"

"It went further than it should have…"

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Just because we might have slept together… doesn't mean anything to me."

"Again you sound less than sure."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Understand what? That you were just flirting with me? That you rather be sleeping with Atom?"

She decks him.

"Walk out this cemetery while you still can!"

He wipes off his lip, maybe he did deserve that punch, and Beetle realizes he isn't the only man to come looking for her in this cemetery. The familiar metallic skin of Captain Atom is soon closer to the pale complexion of Nightshade.

All he sees next is the after effect of Nightshade's teleporting them away him. Her face looks sad to him. Maybe she is. There is no way to know. He is no mind reader. It is time to return to Charlton and that is when he gets word of what happen to the Watchtower II. Inwardly Jamie realizes he used up much of last night being drunk and indulging his fascination with an attractive woman with magical powers. Then again what human doesn't have something that sets them apart from the rest, but even if each knows that set apart quality, that doesn't make life any less hectic.

It doesn't leave anyone better or worse off, just more aware of the fickle nature of realities that most think of as existence. Plans and life contradict each other.

Nobody who acts like this, dresses likes this, or tries to go on like this is able to find out how to just live, but then the questions that remain are the ones that will always be in mind… just not always on tongue.

_Question finally appears to know where to go to find Lord's hideaway, but then with all the other diversions in the last few months, how can even the conspiracy theorist be sure?_

Beetle flies the 'Bug' back to Charlton.

He couldn't figure out Nightshade, but he'd bring the architect of his mentor's murder to justice. Lord might not have done the act himself yet he did hire those who did. He would prefer using a Javelin for this yet the Watchtower's destruction left the League in dire straits in terms of flyable craft so he would make do with his own resources. The plan this time is to prevent the probable destruction of the Metro Tower, which is the anticipated next target. A further implication is if or when should the League evacuate the place, but then there is no way to know when Lord will fire on it or if he intends to fire at all.

"A certainty is uncertainty," snorts Blue Beetle.

Somehow he expects that it will happen, it is just a matter of when.

* * *

Together they reappear on the moon and unaware of what happen mere hours ago yet such is time. It would be the first time he speaks rather than drown in memories or stare at old photographs.

"Time doesn't exist for me in this suit. I can remember what things felt like, but like photographs, memories are like the radiation I can manipulate for the task before me though as it soon as it done I just switch off, same with memories. I remember more than I feel. Emotions become foreign to me."

Nightshade generates an oxygen enclosure around them. It is done more so for her benefit since unlike Atom she can't breathe in the vacuum of space like him.

They stand somewhere between the far and the near sides of the Moon. Below yet not so far away is a blue orb and further out is a red one.

"Until the feelings had come with Betty back in your life and then when she died you felt like you were going back to the way you were before the reunion, to the way you were after so many years as Captain Atom. It happens to me too, but being around people makes it harder to feel like I could switch off."

Atom looks at her thoughtfully and knows it is taking considerable concentration to maintain the air bubble so he taps moves closer to her so she might reduce the size of the bubble to lessen the strain.

"I start to feel like a liar when I say she is the only woman I ever loved. Seeing you again after all the time I spent at Rockefeller made it difficult to not get angry after you teleported us away from the bombs. I had already come so close to losing her more than once yet like this I thought nothing was beyond me and the things I did while I was briefly part of Cadmus were…"

She caresses his metallic skin with her gloved hands and pulls herself closer to him, which shrinks the air bubble further. She begins to believe that she is with _Nathan_, not Atom.

"I would be a liar too if I didn't say I am without feelings for another man. You felt within reach, but I wasn't exactly going to force my way into your life so soon after she died especially when I thought maybe I could save her for your sake. I mean me jealous of Betty, I guess in some way I was, but even I couldn't entirely make my moves pure by taking you away from the bombs first…"

She did what she thought right, but even so it is invariably never easy. She took him away from the bombs and Betty. There was no way to save her, she told herself that, but around Atom… _Nathan_… it is harder to believe this. He looks almost at peace up here, but then Eve because of magic tends to believe that there are things in the world that have a calming effect on some.

"I went away to be up here. The Moon always held significance to me because I became a pilot with aspirations to fly in space. Air Force pilots in the past were among those recruited to fly orbital and lunar missions. The accident happened before I could go through the trials for the Mars Mission…"

The Mars Mission instead went to one of Nathaniel Adams' friends, John Allen Carter, but the real John Carter never return from Mars, appearances to the contrary. Carter and his crew were replaced by shape-shifters (aka the Invaders). The Invaders steadily began replacing individuals all over the world and they did not limit themselves to authority positions. It did surprise Atom slightly that Carter left the service in favor of politics because the Carter he had flown with years before paid more mind to the birds and the missions.

"My stepdad actually worked with the man everyone thought was John Allen Carter while the impostor ran for the Senate after 'returning' from Mars. The deception on the part of the Invaders was all too convincing for many, but there were still plenty of people who were suspicious…"

Together 'Carter' and Superman were the front men for global arms reduction, which many authority figures fervently opposed yet their rationale registers as dated to nearly anyone who hears it. The Invaders were patient, their infiltration was nothing short of calculation and cunning, but then everyone was paying too much mind to the tangles of their own lives. It might have been part of why Nathaniel Adams dreamt of flying through air into space if only to get away from made him sick of Earth.

"Hardly any took action against them, at least that I knew of, but I had no way of knowing who and who wasn't replaced by an Invader. They were equally convincing and persuasive. If I couldn't recognize that someone was impersonating Carter, what chance did the rest of Earth have?"

Few know let alone bother to learn the sacrifices that even just one make to save lives. It is those not-things that are always with the one who made said sacrifices. At the same time, there are some sacrifices that they never want to make, but often they happen anyway. Both Eve and Nathan know this because how else would they have become Nightshade and Captain Atom.

"We want to believe in a better world. The world however has other ideas as do the people that inhabit it. What we are will not change or go away. You either face it head on with all that you are or not."

She couldn't think of any other way to put it to him. Word precision is a slippery thing even for those who can say much with little. She wraps her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. Space is cold to her unlike Atom who thanks to his transformation is temperature resistant. From a comfort or discomfort standpoint it might be enviable, but it also takes away sensations that humans latch such importance to until it becomes mundane and predictable then after much exposure they long for it to end.

If too 'hot' they want it cool. If too 'cold' they want it warm.

Cold beverages, warm drinks, cold showers, hot baths, always with the alternating extremes.

Atom moves closer to her and the atmosphere bubble shrinks further until their bodies meet. They had only been this close twice before and both times in order to teleport away from somewhere, which hold awkward or bad memories for either of them. He feels so warm to her. She is trembling in his arms, he could see that plainly.

_Jamie was right I do want to sleep with Nathan. I always did even before I became Nightshade. I felt safe with him, I still do._

She straddles him. He felt her leaning against him.

_It was new trying to see if I could even still do this when Betty was still alive, but I didn't think I'd be trying again after what happen to her and especially to have Eve wanting me like that._

He runs his hands through her hair and she tightens her hold around him by spreading then locking her legs around his. Their lips follow suit. It wouldn't stay cold for long.

"I got drunk with Jamie," blurts Nightshade.

"You were alone," says Atom.

"I might have slept…"

"Not time for words…"

"Right… it is like lying under the sun…"

"Not quite a beach…"

"Anywhere in the universe…"

Her body feels electric when it connects to Atom. She audibly gasps after their palms latch onto each other. He is inside in her. She never felt quite as high as she does now and whispers encouraging words to him. He responds through not words, but movements. Her physical reactions only push to go further. They don't reach for the moon nor does it reach for them because they already are the moon.

* * *

Question, Huntress, Black Canary, and Green Arrow climb up through the underside of the 'Bug'. 'She' takes off once more and the destination stands to the north in the Arctic. If Question's latest suspicion proves to be correct the weapon used to blow apart the Watchtower is there and its power source is the Atlantean Doomsday Reactor. As for how it was brought back online that is suspect unless Lord or on his 'partners' found a way to turn it back on. The deeper worry is that the next target is the Metro Tower since it is now the only active League facility on Earth.

It is also the only facility spearheading the SAR operations to ascertain the fate of those that were aboard its once orbiting counterpart. Question didn't know why Lord would be doing this. He knows what happen in the months leading up to this. He was often around when the preceding events transpired. He had been where many of these events happened. No identity is a mystery to him so he is usually never unaware of whom he is dealing with and again it circles to back why. The elusive why in Lord's plan is still the mystery yet somehow the reveal feels so close to realization.

"So why fly to the Arctic while the others are heading up for SAR operations?" asks Blue Beetle.

"It is where the beam is estimated to have originated from, that's why," answers Green Arrow.

"How do we know this isn't another run around?" continues Beetle.

"We don't, but we can't let it fire again especially not with teams up there looking for survivors!" snaps Black Canary.

"Strange that Captain Atom has been out of the frame since before the blackouts."

"What exactly are you insinuating now?" hisses Huntress.

"He and Nightshade 'stepped' out," remarks Beetle.

Both women know that Nightshade has feelings for Atom. Question knows it too and as for Arrow he just tries to tune it out.

"We are going to one of the coldest places on Earth and you people are bickering about what those two are doing?" grumbles Arrow.

"Ol… Arrow, show some heart won't you?" groans Canary.

"I'm sorry. Stick to flying the ship," continues Arrow.

"Sure, anything for the mission," snorts Beetle.

The silence doesn't last long. Warning lights start blinking like mad.

"What more could go wrong today?" shouts Beetle.

"We have multiple problems, all of them relating to the propulsion system, and the thrusters are icing over too. It is the cold, it is freezing the heat release," interjects Question.

"We are losing altitude fast, if you aren't buckled in, you better do it now!" orders Beetle.

The altitude readout plummets faster than expected once the engines give out. Beetle rapidly runs his fingers across the dashboard in an effort to reroute power from other systems, but with the outside temperature being what it is, the attempt could be a wasted one. However he had no intention of dying out here. There is an audible stuttering from the engine intakes that means the ship is trying to warm up the engines, but all the malfunctions are screwing with the attempt to bypass the damaged connections.

"I'd really suggest you get the engines working before we either smash into the wall or worse drop into arctic waters!" quivers Canary.

"Arrow, you have reinforced titanium arrows right?" asks Huntress.

"Right, I see where you going with this, Beetle, open the hatch," says Arrow.

"You really going to start moving about before I can stabilize this thing?" quips Beetle.

"Unless you have any better ideas, I am going to try this one," replies Arrow.

The 'Bug' banks back upward. It is barely enough for it to clear the drop off thankfully.

Arrow fires off the reinforced arrows, which manage to dig into the frozen snow.

"Guess I'll figure out how durable these new gloves are then," yells Canary.

She grips the wire then slides out through the hatch in a folded position.

"I wonder why she isn't complaining about the cold with the way she's dressed," chuckles Beetle.

"I had a hard time trying to learn her stocking size, but I did just the same. They were one of several engagement gifts I got her," remarks Arrow.

"A girl's got to accessorize after all. Glad you took to my suggestion because we need more than one way to keep our legs warm," giggles Huntress.

Huntress winks at Question. She could tell he had a grin behind his mask from the way his jaw shifted at her comment about Arrow's gift to Canary.

Arrow fires off another reinforced arrow and Huntress rides the next one out. Canary is already running towards where it looks like Huntress will land.

"The engines are stalling again. The bypasses and reroutes are not ones I ever fully tested, especially not in Arctic weather conditions. I guess it is time to launch the snow cycles. You two get out of first. I have to keep her level. The third one will auto-launch with you," says Beetle.

Arrow and Question head aft to find a hidden compartment that house the said snow cycles. Both mount one then the bay door opens up. The docking clamps release and the cycles come to life on the way down so they fire the cycle engines up only to find themselves hovering slightly above the ground after a short free fall.

The women trudge across the snow towards the cycle riders. A third cycle flies away from the crash landing. Blue Beetle made it out, which is remarkable considering that the Bug looks as if it will never fly again. Arrow and Question descend allowing the women to ride with their men. The three cycles fall into formation then rocket across the frozen snow towards a man made spire hidden beneath layers of glacial snow drifts.

Its true nature is given away by the heat signature emanating from it because nothing else save the bodies riding the cycles is giving off any heat. The drifts blow away from the forward motion of the cycles as they fly straight across the almost flat ground.

Heavily reinforced doors part as the cycles pull closer to the destination and once inside the doors close behind them. They already suspect they were let in on purpose. It didn't matter if they were expected because the destruction of the Metro Tower had to be prevented because Lord had already gotten away with too much in the last several months.

* * *

Beneath the costumes are very driven personalities, but then they had to be more often than not.

_Their profession is an extension of everything else that they are, for what else could they be or who for that matter?_

Green Arrow and Black Canary take point. The two operate almost in tandem ever since that sparring match. They come from opposite sides of the 'track', but both are no less dedicated to doing right. Those two would have ended up together one way or another, the attraction is undeniable between them. In her, he found a woman worth the chase and one who would stand up to him in a way that none had before. In him, she discovers a man who cares immensely even though his actions often make little sense at first glance, but after you would see that he made the call despite personal consequences.

_Oliver Queen as a multi-billionaire philanthropist can be ignored out of turn despite his wealth and earnest intentions to help the 'little' people. Dinah Lance is a capable leader and teacher in on her own right, but even in modern times the tensions between genders still run high. Her intention to marry Queen is taken as a step back for her by some while others privately wonder what Queen is thinking by marrying her with his family's reputation. Both are well aware of the talk, but it does little good to allow their lives to be ruled by 'talk', which is why both often would say they do more good dressing up and taking to the streets than they do putting up with the press among others._

_Jamie Reyes both as an inventor and problem solver has spent years in the shadow of Ted Kord, but neither he nor Kord saw it as such. They were more than business associates and Reyes had no desire to be the front man as Kord always shined as, which is why some speculate that Dreiser is natural successor to Kord, if they only knew what Dreiser is really up to now. Dreiser has a free hand to twist the company however he likes, Reyes knows this, but there are some things more important than winning the board's approval. Of course Reyes similarly has developed an attraction to Eve Eden._

_Eve Eden, stepdaughter of Senator Schneider and twin sister to Lucas, is also caught up in her own 'mess' and all of it ties back to her childhood with the exception of her romantic feelings for Captain Atom. She holds no love for her stepfather, not anymore, and she feels naturally awful about not believing Lucas' claims in the past. Her family fell apart because of many things starting with what really happen to her mother and for a time she lost her brother because they didn't agree about what happen to their mother. As a woman, she didn't want to invest her peace of mind in anyone else and she certainly doesn't look as if she likes the idea of anyone assigning her any kind of role least of all becoming someone's wife. In the guise of Nightshade, she can use her innate magical abilities like any other __**Homo Magi**__, but not even magic can dispel loneliness._

_Captain Atom once Captain Nathaniel Adams was drawn to flying at a very young age because his father had been a pilot. His aspirations to fly and his seemingly nature gift of handling aircraft is what brought recruiters to him. In the end, he chose the Air Force because with them he stood the greatest chance of going to space or at least he thought so. One of his friendly rivals was John Allan Carter, but what neither knew was that then Colonel Eiling had them both shadowed by the recently promoted Major Zmeck. The eventual accident took Adams out of the running for the Mars Mission trials and Carter emerges as the leader of the mission. Nobody ever learned what to happen to the real John Carter or the others, but they were among the first to be replaced by the Invaders._

_Huntress was not always a hunter, but it is the guise that she employs to do what she does best. Little Helena lost her parents to murder thanks to Mandragora who later claims it was nothing more than a business opportunity. He would also claim that it was within his power to kill her too, but said he spared her as she would never be a threat to him even when she later threatened to kill him as Huntress. She didn't go through with it because killing him wouldn't change the past and it would leave his son without a father. He was later killed by person or persons unknown. His death didn't surprise her because he had been arrogant enough to believe that they could never get to him, but dealing with the Illuminati is something completely different from dealing with the mob._

_It is only in working with Question did she rediscover herself and feelings she never thought she feel again, but that is the change he made in her.  
_

_His is the face of the man that she loves more than she hated Mandragora for killing her parents. She did what she felt it took to get him back in her arms. He did remind of her crass remark about him wearing a full face mask, she couldn't take it back yet she could disagree with her own words. She rediscovers all the things she felt she never feel again through him and she could tell he thought he would never know them because he often would act as if he didn't deserve. She constantly is at it to show him otherwise why else would she be with him if only to relearn what is real between them and to hold onto all that is worth living for still._

_**The why behind Lord's actions against the League and costumes in general has yet to reveal itself, but something tells it to be tied to time travel though few if any have ever invented stable working time portals. Few with the exception of David Clinton devised a way to traverse the time space continuum with impunity. There are anomalies all of which I am aware, but the pieces that still elude me are the ones that neither Bruce or John would speak of, but the situation must have grown increasingly dire if Batman had to devise a program to undo whatever Clinton did after the last entry in the journal.**_

_**Now we must close the distance between us and Lord in order to prevent any number of futures without a Justice League and without costumes. Is that his plan to end us? It seems too simple, but can no longer afford to ignore any possibility no matter how improbable it looks despite Lord's remarkable intellect.

* * *

**_

"Question… Q… babydoll," says Huntress.

"I'm… here… mind wandering… tangents happening on their own again," answers Question.

"We are almost inside… I need you to focus on me if that's what it takes to center your mind."

Once inside they find the welcoming committee led by Major Force.

"Welcome to the end of the line heroes," chuckles Force.

"Now I really wish Atom were here," whispers Beetle.

"Oh, do speak up Blue, I don't think everyone heard you," cracks Force.

"He's the only one who can match you power wise," continues Beetle.

"Yes, it is a pity, but I'll get to him later, we can end this quickly if you don't move."

"I wouldn't count on it!" shouts Arrow.

Green Arrow fires off a spread of arrows that bind Force temporarily.

Volcana starts billowing fire at Canary who decides to run towards the nearest wall with the hope that Volcana hadn't seen Glamor Slam the previous year. As she charges up the metal wall then vaults over the pyrokinetic except Volcana saw through the move so spins around to blast Canary. It sets Black Canary's leather jacket on fire. She screams in pain on the way down and the sound diverts Arrow attention too long so Question had to collide with him in order for both to evade Force's radiation blasts.

Huntress unhooks her cape and throws it onto Canary in an effort to put out the fire.

"God, this hurts," groans Canary.

"Just stay down," suggests Huntress.

"Help me up, you can't take her or Killer Frost on by yourself," reminds Canary.

"So be it Blondie," snorts Huntress.

"You are outmatched, we have more power between us than you two," interjects Killer Frost.

"Right… you feel right at home don't you Frost?"

Frost lets off long bursts of ice, which freeze Huntress' legs.

"I wouldn't recommend your sonic cry to break that because you might break her legs permanently."

"What would you suggest then?"

"Give up, your time is done."

"Not an option."

"Then die like the ones in orbit have."

Huntress pulls out a tool similar to one used by Batman when dealing with Mr. Freeze. It gradually thaws the ice while Beetle and Canary divert attention away from her. Number wise the odds were favorable, but the trio of Force, Volcana, and Killer Frost compensate with powers.

Volcana drops as something that resembles extinguisher foam neutralizes her pyrokinesis. Killer Frost likewise falls down as she suddenly looks too warm for her own preference and Force looks as if he already knows who is behind this 'back stab'.

"I had a feeling you weren't on our side anymore Wraith, but I am still going to kill your new friends."

The five starts scrambling in different directions trying to avoid the radiating bursts come from Force's fists.

Magical bolts start slamming into Force from random directions and Wraith is never in any one spot long enough for Force to attempt to target his opponent. Major Force can find no pattern in the random teleportation jumps so he instead tries to keep moving as well so that eventually might catch Wraith in the act of reappearing yet not ready to fire off another bolt. All the bolts so far have left micro-fractures in Force's containment, but none big enough to trigger a rupture as Green Arrow could tell given his previous experience with seeing first hand what a rupture could do to Captain Atom.

Green Arrow and Huntress continuously fire arrows and bows at Force, but he still disintegrates all. It however gives Wraith more 'breathing' room and irritates Force as he is still unable to effectively hit Wraith. Force shifts tactics by targeting those who cannot teleport knowing that would ironically force the teleporter to stand his ground to defend his sister's new allies.

He fires on Question and keeps firing though the conspiracy theorist is more agile than even the amoral radiation regulator expects. However he finally backs him into a corner as the only way away is up to go except there's no way for him to do so. Wraith appears between them and generates a barrier, which prompts Force to slam away at it with constant bursts.

The others run across the room with Huntress in the lead position of the four. She pulls out her retractable Bo staff then uses it to catapult herself across the distance, but it is at that moment that Force blasts a radiation burst in her direction.

"Save her, don't worry about me, now go!" demands Question.

Wraith teleports between Huntress and the radiation burst meant for her. It strikes him directly and he drops to the ground with much of his upper body burnt from the attempt.

* * *

Nightshade's eyes glow as if reacting to something external yet far away. Something had happen to her brother. She bolts up still embracing Atom's metallic skin. His confusion at her movement is natural and she had let her mind drift after they physically had worn each other out when linking to each other in a weightless environment. The bliss of having done so is rapidly wearing off as she feels Wraith's pain through their renewed magical bond. He is hurt, possibly dying, she had to go back to Earth, and there is no other way in her mind.

"Lucas is hurt. He has been burned by Major Force. Force was intentionally made using the same process they used to make you Atom. I need your help to save my brother Nathan," pleads Eve.

"The Moon beckons me. The Earth calls to you. I don't belong down there anymore. I'm not one of them, not since this. If you feel you must go… then go," suggests Atom.

"Don't be like this, not after we… I mean were you pretending or am I a fool for thinking that somewhere in there still exists a man named Nathan Adams?"

"I have his memories, his feelings, his thoughts, but everything since the accident that belongs to this guise, to Captain Atom."

"How do you expect the League or your friends to end this new conspiracy against them?"

"Nothing is ever over, but I am removing myself from the entanglement of the 'cycle'."

Nightshade feels tears welling in her eyes, tears shared by her and Eve because it feels like they had lost the man in the shell despite having found happiness for a time by connecting her body to his.

"If that's how you feel then why did we just do what we did?"

"I thought it was what you wanted, maybe some part of me did too, but maybe it was just my mind using my body to recreate the memory of having sex or as some call it making love. I can recall the emotions, describe the sensations, and more, but not how it feels to me like this."

"Why do I keep falling for the 'wrong' men? God, I am pathetic, if you are going to pretend to care than don't follow me back because I am not throwing myself at you again. I am saving my brother."

"You think I enjoy not knowing what is real or not real about me anymore? You think I like what I have become because of this? This is what I am, maybe all that I am!"

"If you weren't being this honest before I don't think I would have done what I just did, but then my soft spot at times often belongs to a man who has a way with words… whether its you or Jamie."

"He was the man I saw you with at the cemetery."

"A moment ago you didn't even sound like there was an 'us', now you sound jealous."

"It is merely recognition because he worked for the late Ted Kord."

"Right, he's the new Blue Beetle. He has been a great help in your absence. I got drunk with him the night before and quite possibly slept with him."

"I think you were trying to tell me this before we slept together, but then the mood or the imitation of the mood carried us away from conversation to sex."

"Can you just admit that we slept together, that you enjoyed it, that you are still Nathan!"

She trembles, her tears float away from her in zero gravity, and she tries to focus on teleportation. She had to return to Earth yet it is then that she feels his hand in hers. She smiles and they are ready to leave the Moon for Earth except that is when they see the remnants of the Watchtower in a decaying orbit.

"What happen to the Watchtower?"

"It looks like it was destroyed."

"Lord did this."

"Then we better hurry the Metro Tower will be next."

Nightshade teleports herself and Atom back to Earth's atmosphere then they fly towards the Arctic.

* * *

"Now where was I? Oh, right, back to the five of you and your deaths," quips Force.

Huntress lands a short distance from Wraith.

"You didn't have to do that y'know!" sigh Huntress.

"He wouldn't allow you to come to harm," groans Wraith.

"You have got a big heart, your sister would be proud," murmurs Huntress.

"Help me up before he gets a chance to shoot us again," insists Wraith.

She readily complies and they start to run away from Force.

In tandem Arrow and Beetle go after Force with what few gadgets they have left to them, which do little except to distract him long enough for Huntress and Wraith to stay ahead of his attacks.

"Time to end this," snarls Force.

Two separate bursts strike Force simultaneously, which hurdles him backwards through the far wall revealing the weapons' platform, which is now minus the actual weapon. The only other problem besides Force is the current location of the weapon.

"I guess you can all die together now!" yells Force.

His fists glow to the point that the release could incinerate the entire dome on contact.

"No!" screams Wraith.

Wraith teleports directly behind Force then latches his arms around Force before teleporting them both out of the dome and up to an altitude that should in theory lessen the damage from the release.

"Lucas!" shrieks Nightshade.

She races skyward with Captain Atom trailing after her. He knows such a release would kill any living thing within miles including her brother, her, and possibly even Atom himself, which meant he had to be the one to pull her away from an emotionally driven decision. The twist is not lost on him, but he would suspect that her brother wouldn't want her to die trying to save him from trying save her from Major Force. Nathan Adams is not just memories and photographs anymore. Atom picks up speed and attempts to put himself between the expected implosion and her. She wouldn't like, but if he is to keep her alive then he must be the one to hold her back from death.

"Get out of my way Nathan… I'm not losing him… I made that vow from the moment I knew he was alive again…" hisses Nightshade.

"Forgive me Eve… but I don't think he is doing this with the prospect of surviving it… you must fall back… there's no need for you to die while trying to save him from a decision he made to save lives!"

"Out of my…."

It is already too late… maybe it was always too late. Atom just didn't know anymore and instantly both saw the backwash of the implosion coming at them. Only he could see the faint outline of where Force and Wraith had been only minutes ago.

Nightshade plunges towards the wasteland below them. The shock of Lucas' death had come to her through their twin bond and now she truly is cut off from her true family though true love is another story. Atom dives after her at breakneck speed and the backwash is just behind them.  


* * *

Those still on the ground were almost too stunned to move except for Question as Lord is still active as is his weapon to execute the final phase of the plan, the intended destruction of the Metro Tower and whatever remains of the Justice League within its walls. This could not come to pass, not so long as Question had the means to stop it. He charges ahead at towards the next chamber where the weapon _was_ last night.

"Where is it?" grumbles Question.

"_Still behind Question," _declares Lord.

"Not for long… the platform has a limited firing arc, which is why you had to wait for the Watchtower to come into that exact position to fire it, but it took all these months to figure out how to turn the Atlantean Doomsday Reactor back on and modify it to the power weapon."

"_Bravo, clever to the last, but from here that limitation is gone, first the Metro Tower and then where you are… it is the last stand of costume vigilantism… your kind is not of this world anymore."_

"Says the renegade Illuminatus!"

"_They call me a renegade, a fool, but it is they who have too long been content to manipulate from the shadows, from the back rooms, and why they allow your kind to continue operating is just their latest mistake."_

"Mistake or not, we are here, nothing to change that, not even you."

"_Oh, but I can change it… with this weapon."_

"How long until it fires?"

"_Not long enough for you to stop it. No more 'heroes' or 'villains' just those who can save the world from those who would destroy it."_

"Be seeing you on the other side then."

"_I'll be sure to drop roses on all the graves of the people who died for their ignorant loyalty to your kind."_

The transmission cuts off, but it had given Question time enough to use a homing sensor to program a boom tube portal to Lord's orbital weapons platform.

_**If there's a later I'll be sure to thank Batman for the suggestion.**_

"How are we going to prevent him from firing the damn thing?" quips Canary.

"With this," answers Question.

"What is that?" asks Beetle.

"It is a boom tube remote," replies Atom.

"He must be stopped," insists Nightshade.

"Then let's go already!" implores Huntress.

The seven dash in rapid succession race into the portal.  


* * *

There is audible crackle followed by a boom across the room from where Lord sits with calculations for the firing pattern in the computer targeting system. He swerves around ready to greet the unwanted guests yet he is not alone here. He still had one more hand to play against them. The platform's supercomputer had its own defense measures in the form of hybrid technology. Seven units stand ready to face the seven 'intruders'.

"OMACs eliminate them!" orders Lord.

Atom and Nightshade engage immediately then Arrow and Canary head into the fray. Question, Huntress, and Beetle made a run for Lord's position. Lord hits the enter command on his master control terminal. The mounted space based weapon is powering up at a speed comparable to a binary fusion gun.

"Earth's future is no longer in your hands, it is in mine alone!" declares Lord.

Question and Huntress move to tackle Lord except two OMACs grab them.

One of them used to be Mercy Graves and other was Sasha Bordeaux.

"What did you do these women?" gasps Huntress.

"Ending costume vigilantism is not without sacrifices and these two serve the role well."

"Then what was the point sending all those villains against us?" snaps Huntress.

"As Question here would say, all a diversion, all of it, right Mr. Sage?"

"If there is any humanity left in either of you ladies, resist what he has done to you!"

"They can't hear you."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

The OMACs holding Question and Huntress release them.

"You… what the hell did you do to me? God, to think I more than liked you!" screams Mercy.

Lord steps back to find the personalities behind the people who were the prototype for the OMAC implants turning on him.

"Its not the machine that resists you… its soul that you try bury in the machine that fights back!"

The seven watch with some confusion as the OMACs start to sabotage the weapons platform.

"Mercy… I am telling you don't do this… I am not the threat… the costumes are!"

"They typically don't kill anyone or mutilate anyone… not like what you did to me!"

"You can't say you would kill me!"

"If it meant getting away from men who know all too well how to exploit me then yes I just might!"

The power source of the platform is building up towards an overload that will by twisted happenstance coincide with the weapon discharge.

"Mercy… you and the others have to leave with us… we'll put him on trial!"

"I prefer to move straight to execution!"

"He may get just that when we tie everything he has done in the past several months back to him!"

She chucks him into an opening boom tube portal. Mercy, Sasha, and the other OMAC implants dive through the portal leaving the seven standing there as the warning lights indicate the platform is soon to implode in on itself. The seven follow head into the boom tube and moments later the platform explodes raining shrapnel into the atmosphere.

* * *

This threat did not appear to have world ending proportions to it, but then they would never know how far the OMAC protocol could have spread even with the purported intentions of Maxwell Lord in pushing for its creation. The process used to cybernetically alter the first squad of OMAC hosts was eventually reversed and the individuals flushed of the OMAC nanites. Maxwell Lord and his 'joint venture' associations were arrested then tried for their crimes. The Illuminati made sure of that though they would never admit it.

The Justice League was praised for its handling of recent disasters including the destruction of the Watchtower. Wonder Woman publicly thanked those who supported them through the ordeal of the past several months especially the staffers who had stood by the League through much in the past few years. Many had died in the destruction of the Watchtower, costume and staffer alike, but many more had been saved. Those who are left would be the ones forced to answer the same old questions like they had done before, but most would agree that Lord had gone too far.

Question like the rest of the League attends the funerals for those that were killed in the destruction of the second Watchtower. Nobody spoke of the possibility of building a third because there are fears of a repeat yet the loss of the first had served a more noble purpose in the minds of some. The second's end felt like a joke, nobody felt like laughing for a long time, but sooner or later there had to be more than tears mixing with the raindrops.

"Truth is stranger than fiction - fiction has to make sense," mumbles Question.

On some level, he is glad nobody heard him or so he thought nobody heard him. All the so-called epic battles fought by the League had what some might call anti-climatic 'finishers'. It didn't matter how they 'won', all that matters is that they made it to this moment where the mundane could matter more than the misery.

Oliver's and Dinah's wedding will be put off until summer as Dinah needs time to recover from her injuries while Oliver helps Jamie nail Dreiser for his involvement with Lord's 'Inner Circle'.

Eve didn't have another body to bury, but she did commission a head stone for Lucas Eden. People had to remember his sacrifice to save lives just as people had to remember Dan Turpin.

Senator Schneider's backing of Lord and his 'Inner Circle' would likely axe his political career. Justice is justice, it didn't matter who you were or what you did, and Schneider would learn that the hard way.

* * *

A/N 1: Watchmen nods throughout. Further tweaks to Atom's back story link him to John Carter and the Mars Mission from JL: Secret Origins. Ultimately I realized I couldn't reach a climax without someone dying and what could be more heroic than the tormented Wraith giving his life for others including his twin sister.

A/N 2: Lord's plan goes unfulfilled but the damage is done. Ultimately it turns out to be a battle of mind over matter between Lord and Question. It is foreknowledge fo things that might be that drove Lord to do what he did, but not even that justifies murder among other things.

A/N 3: Question's fourth wall breaking about the outcome is something I noticed myself about their big battles in that there's such build-up only for it to come down to narrow saves though like Question I do realize that if any one piece to fall into place the outcome could and would be different from what it is.


	30. Rings

"_**Justice League… that often seems a joke to me when they think no problem is beyond them.**_

"_**We who do not live in the sky with a floating space station can do more with human authority."**_

"_**That authority is you Maxie? Geniuses like you have been trying for that for years."**_

"_**I'm not Luthor. I don't intend to disgrace and divide the League."**_

"_**Then what do you intend to do with them because they aren't going to just step aside."**_

_**Lord knows that Grant is right about the League, but it appears the solution would have to begin with the man who had first come to his attention as someone who tends to be at times unhappy with the assignments or missions given to him by the League. The man known to the boxing world as the retired Ted 'Cat Man' Grant yet for many others he is known as the hand-to-hand fighter Wildcat. As Wildcat he also trained many of the heroines who were now members of the Justice League including the likes of Black Canary and one of their former agents, Huntress, to name a few. **_

"_**An organization rivalry has proven ineffective in the past because the League always manages to outmaneuver it so something far more subtle than the Legion will be necessary here. At the same time, those like you will be necessary to the plan too. The means to this end are within my reach."**_

"_**Pit them against each other all you like, but if you expect me to kill then I'm out of this match-up."**_

"_**Intractable problems require irregular solutions so either way the era of costumed agents will end as both sides of the coin cancel each other out."**_

_**Grant in that moment saw working for Lord would be worse than feeding the addiction that he got from the underground fight clubs like Roulette's Metabrawl. He was looking for action, for a good scrap, but the instant the prospect of killing came into play that was a sign for departure. He did walk out of that meeting alive and then no one heard from him again until his body was found on the sidewalk several stories down from his apartment. Ted Grant died after being smashed through glass doors and shoved off a balcony by Clayface.

* * *

**_

Lord made sure Grant would never expose him, but in reality Grant did more to expose his erstwhile 'employer' in death than he might have ever done in life.

* * *

_**Captain Nathaniel Adams dreamed from childhood of being a pilot yet it is the wake of the rockets and missiles that he starts to dream of space travel. Somewhere along the way the pilot finds that his pursuit of flight and space brings him to the Colorado Springs Air Force Academy. It is here that he meets John Allen Carter and Clifford Zmeck. The trio kept a friendly rivalry through their years at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.**_

_**All three took part in the rigorous training selection for the Mars Mission, but of course it is during this time that Nathan had grown closer to a voluptuous redhead named Betty Souci. Her philosophical and political leanings were naturally bound to clash with the principles and protocols of being an Air Force pilot yet put aside what they did for a living and one could find they did love each other. All that however would be torn apart with the 'death' of Captain Adams and the 'birth' of Captain Atom.**_

_**John Carter went to Mars, but he did not return from Mars. The Invaders that decimated the Martians save for one turn their sights to Earth and begin their infiltration through the crew of the **__Archimedes__**. The infiltration reaches its peak within two years and during that time covert efforts undertaken by various doppelgangers reduces Earth's capabilities to resist invasion yet at the same time there is widespread sentiment for global nuclear arms reduction.**_

_**Clifford Zmeck spent untold years between the twin shadows of his former rivals. One had gone to Mars and the other had become Captain Atom. Both events made him bitter at least until a Doctor Magnus had come to him with a proposition that would make him an equal or even surpass Captain Atom. Zmeck took it and in time he would be remade as Major Force**_

_**His transformation would be short lived when he find his suspicions about the one called Wraith.

* * *

**_

Even with cell doors to separate the two men, there is no mistaking his smugness

"There is no past, no present, and no future except to those who are linear like us. Time is mutable certainly and the agents you deem the source of humanity's near annihilation are similarly the ones others call heroes who 'save' it without often asking what they are saving."

* * *

_**Eve and Lucas Eden, twin siblings, had their lives torn apart with the death of their mother. Eve represses memories surrounding the cause of her death whereas Lucas constantly persists what he believes to be the true cause of her death. It is in fact the true cause yet nobody believes him for a long time. **_

_**His stepfather Lawrence denies it for his own selfish motivations whereas his twin sister denies it becomes the truth of it scares her too much to face it. Lucas' years at the psychiatric hospital in Maine are a hard to bury secret for Senator Lawrence Schneider. As for Eve, she would in time come to realize the truth and distance herself from her stepfather in her search for her brother even after it's insisted that he committed suicide. The twins' reunion find them at first on opposite sides of a new conspiracy that targets all costumes though in particular any who retain ties to the Justice League.**_

_**She already had taken more than a few risks to save Atom even when the latter refused to leave Betty to die under a pile of rubble in a building that was going to explode and if he had stayed more people would have died instead of just Betty when the bombs went off. Betty accepted the sacrifice with the same kind of dignity that Eve's mother wore in her final days.

* * *

**_

It is clear that Lord facing the 'failure' of his plan cannot reconcile his mentality with his reality.

"They survive everything even their own narrowly averted annihilation, but what makes them worthy?"

"Like some questions, it is without an answer yet what makes you right to judge them at all?"

_Consciousness buries those answers so that when we sleep, when we dream, the answers assume disguises we spend our lives trying to unmask only to learn the answers are more elusive than a 'good' night's sleep to a human who yearns for the nameless._

Huntress watches this conversation between her lover and the man that by all points is the mastermind behind all the troubles they had faced in the past several months yet as she heard Question speak she realizes he more than anyone was desperate to stop Lord.

It is only in her nightmares that she relives him being shot or her parents being slain as she watches from inside the closet. Sometimes it seems like a better idea to retire from this while she can still walk away yet the last time she spoke of that possibility she instead found cause to stay when Question was taken by Cadmus. She never felt quite as driven as she did that night and never more broken did she feel as she saw him shot. She had also seen Barbara, Dinah, and Oliver shot only seconds before him whereas he took bullets meant for her. Scarecrow's fear gas made her worst case scenario mentally real at least until she broke free of it yet as for who to fully blame for the whole run that would stick to Lord.

"Whatever you might have learned from those journals written by David Clinton, that future doesn't exist anymore, another future is always taking its place, and in the end, nothing ever ends so we go on."

"So sure of humanity's survival despite the odds… why Cadmus feared you so back then, I'll never accept or understand. You have seen like others what your 'allies' are capable of doing. So why continue to support them? Help them?"

"Not that you wouldn't understand, you just wouldn't accept my answers."

* * *

The trial that followed Lord's arrest as expected took months to sift through given the system and no amount of influence welded by the disgraced Senator Schneider would make the trial easier. The joint ventures between the corporations were seen for what they really were, but it was agreed by most it was not the principle that was wrong, just the hands that the projects were left that was the mistake. Hindsight doesn't help, it is just a way of assigning the blame to someone or something, but who was going to take responsibility for what Lord and his Inner Circle did in the past several months?

More than half the people on the Watchtower II died during the station's destruction and those that did survive were freely given the option to leave their positions. Many took that option only because they just wanted to go home, be with others, if only to go back to their own lives where they wouldn't be caught up in the League's troubles. The League on the other hand couldn't simply walk away from what happen even with the losses between the separate hits and the loss of another Watchtower. They did what they always do… face the problems head on… because there is no other way.

Nothing about Lord's plan made sense, no matter how much anyone would want it to, it never did and never would, but that's not a surprise to Question. The Illuminati broke ties with Lord at some point after they found he was the one marking the costumes, but why they never went after him themselves is something of a mystery to Question. However who is to say they didn't try to shut him down, but given the number of alliances he made, both corporate and contractual, maybe that's why whoever they sent never got near him. It is just as likely that they left stopping him to the League, they don't want to draw attention to themselves plus they usually never went out of their way to help, not publicly anyway.

They are everywhere so nobody could truly know who is and isn't an Illuminatus.

_If their organization is so vast then what prevents them from intervening yet continuing to push the same threads as they have always done in the millennia past?_

It is a question without an answer for even if an Illuminatus were to tell why, what would make it worth believing, because obfuscation is how they operate as a whole, but even that could be a misconception worth maintaining on their part. He had met three of their number face to face and one of the three, Lord, is now likely to be sentenced to death for an array of crimes including murder since it was his weapon that blew up the Watchtower.

The only way out of that would be an outrageous technicality.

_He could beat the system, but would __**they**__ allow it? _

Question hopes not, but Victor Sage has other places to be today such as a wedding in California. He sprays the aerosol over the mask and peels it off. He knows he is not alone in here and that it is not Helena sneaking up on him, she is waiting for him at the Metro Tower since they are traveling with others out to Queen's summer place in California for the occasion. He turns around to find that the Illuminati had found him once more.

Nobody moves, nobody speaks, so who would break the silence, somebody had to or did it really have to be done?

"I am certain your silence means you either don't know what to say or you are wondering what would happen if I spoke first," says Whisper.

"I didn't expect to encounter you again after Montenegro or let alone be allowed to live with knowledge of your organization's existence," remarks Vic.

"We are aware that you have been following our plural deception for years and that you have known about the magic bullet. The one said to be forged by our mystics."

"So with all that I know you let me live, why?"

"Any explanation given won't answer your question."

"I guess I should have not expected you to try."

"It is because the question is not why… but who."

"You are saying because who I am… you let me live."

Expectations are left behind like masks taken off.

"Your skepticism is expected."

"Your honesty is unprecedented."

"You also wonder what will happen to Lord."

"After all that happen who wouldn't?"

"He won't beat the system."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

_Familiarity lurks behind every corner and window – so history is full of repeat variations._

"This is not the first time we have had a renegade."

"So why didn't you stop him?"

"We tried, we failed, but no amount of setbacks ever stops you."

"You let setbacks stop you?"

"Not exactly, but his agents were irritatingly adept at diverting us."

"Diversions were his calling card. Nobody would believe him about the Illuminati."

_They value their anonymity as much as I do or used to at times, but with Helena I find less cause to hide from myself. We both have pasts full of things that we cannot forget and things we struggle to keep still._

"He kept expecting us more than he was expecting you at every turn. Aside from your occasional direct moves you tend to be as subtle as we are if not more so. It is harder to track one man than an organization such as ours, but the same cannot be said for the League due its image."

"So how could you or any in your organization be so in the dark as to not expect the weapon used to destroy the Watchtower or the existence of the OMAC Project?"

"We believed the League had dismantled the precursor, the Binary Fusion Gun, but Luthor being Luthor still had hidden away a substantial stash Lord found either through Mercy or someone else. He used all the resources available to him without going through us or Cadmus."

_If the Illuminati could infiltrate Cadmus, they can infiltrate anyone, but Whisper is also rumored to be involved with both Intergang and the Society. So where do her true allegiances stand?_

"So he was your inside man in Cadmus?"

"Yes and we sought to keep an eye on Cadmus' corporate alliances including Lexcorp despite Luthor's disappearance last year when handing off the Anti-Life Equation to the resurrected Darkseid."

"How did you know that Darkseid was dead in the first or that he had even been killed?"

"I don't think it is necessary to remind you who you are dealing with Sage."

"I tend to ask questions even when I believe I already know the answers."

"So how do you think we know?"

_My memory recall is nearly photographic, not quite up to Luthor's par, but enough to prove that I don't forget what I have read or seen too quickly._

"A conclusion based on the fact that of all Superman's Rogues – Brainiac and Darkseid had not been seen since the original roster agreed to help Darkseid against Brainiac. It was a ruse played for the sake of luring Superman into a trap, but Darkseid double crossed Brainiac."

"In the end, Superman left Darkseid to die along with that version of Brainiac. Another version however remained under wraps inside Luthor until the showdown between Cadmus and the League, but that version was vibrated out of existence by Flash using a power he had not previously used."

"It nearly led to his death."

"The other six pulled him back from the Speed Force - I can tell you there were no dry eyes."

"Such an act moves even an Illuminatus?"

Whisper makes no comment. She didn't have to, because many were moved by witnessing that event whether they were literally there or watching from elsewhere. He could remember those moments with such clearness that he would not forget the look on their faces when Flash 'died'. He could scarcely imagine what his own face might shown if he had not had the mask on at that particular moment too.

"I wouldn't suggest keeping your _Inamorata_ waiting for much longer… you know how she reacts when she suspects you are in danger," reminds Whisper.

He knows she is right about Helena when it comes to him.

"Please remember Gemma's last words to you."

She slips away and Vic doesn't bother to follow because she would leave no trace of her passage. It reminds him of that night he rarely thought about in many years yet recent events brought him back to that moment where he felt his first brush with love and loss towards a woman who was not his mother. The circumstances of his 'reunion' with this woman are tragically bittersweet. Try as he may to remember her clearly before that night, he scarcely can, which only proves the sharpness of 'bad' memories.

* * *

"_**Leave her alone!"**_

_The attacker notices him so drops her on the steps and runs off. He looks between her limp form and his receding silhouette. He wonders should he pursue the attacker or stay with her. The attacker's footfalls grow more distant and her breathing becomes shallow. Charlie kneels next to her and wraps his trench coat around her._

"_**Who… who… are... you…you?"**_

_She stutters as he tries to apply pressure to her wound to stem the bleeding, her blood loss already is much. Her lip is also bleeding yet not as much as the wound that is lower and runs deeper._

"_**Gemma… don't you recognize me?"**_

_She strains to make out his face yet it is half hidden by the poor lighting descending from the dimming street lamp. Something about his voice is familiar to her._

"_**Ch…Char...Charlie."**_

_He weakly smiles when she says his name._

"_**Yes it is Charlie. Don't try to move, you lost a lot of blood after you were shot at close range."**_

"_**Is he gone? I don't want him hurting you too. You were always too good to me."**_

"_**You were… you are…."**_

"_**Feelings always seem to pass right through you like you were not there."**_

"_**I felt… I feel…"**_

"_**I know."**_

_He didn't always have to say it all with words since Gemma seem to share his mother's body language reading ability, which is an exceeding rare quality to find in anyone especially so in someone who struggles constantly with the intensity of their own feelings._

"_**Save your strength."**_

"_**I don't need it."**_

_He couldn't tell if she felt like her life was slipping away from her or she was just putting on a brave front to persuade him that her condition isn't as it looks to him._

"_**You'll need it for more than mere survival."**_

"_**Words are unnecessary for your meaning..."**_

"_**Have to say it anyway for you to be..."**_

"_**Say it for me to be?"**_

"_**Say it for you to be human."**_

_He didn't think he should risk moving her. She would die and all he could do is watch her._

"_**Don't ever change, Charlie."**_

_Those were her last words to him. He didn't know whether to cry or scream when her eyes flutter shut for the last time. His echoes are a mangling of both._

_She seem so peaceful for one who was hurt by a violently inflicted injury, he couldn't explain it to himself or to anyone else who sought to talk to him about it afterward except maybe his mother. She knows his silence isn't intentional or isolating, but watching someone die like that is never easy to live with. _

_As the Question, he found the man responsible for the wound that killed her after frequenting the various nightclubs that Gemma worked at in the past few years. Many of her co-workers held such respect for her yet felt she could have gone elsewhere for work. Someone like her didn't belong among them and ultimately someone sought to seize her for himself alone. This decision took her life from her and finally left him near death because Charlie didn't take kindly to Gemma's death in the months that followed that moment where she said those words about him not changing._

_It was those words that kept him from killing the man that killed her yet it brought him closer to knowing what having another's life in his hands feels like. _

"_**I didn't kill her. She was still alive when that guy showed up. He coulda saved her if he wanted."**_

"_**Yes, you shot her, she was still breathing and bleeding when found by that man."**_

"_**So he did nothing for her just like the rest aware of her presence."**_

"_**The wound was too severe to risk moving her so he just sat there as you ran from your decision."**_

"_**I ran because I hurt her and he saw me. So why stay?"**_

"_**Take responsibility, not cast blame!"**_

"_**So what are you going to do?"**_

_Her killer is shifting from taunting to goading as the rain pelts them both._

"_**You got nothing on me!"**_

"_**I don't but he does… part of him doesn't care if you should be the eye for the eye yet another part thinks the system should take care of you… if it still works… seems impossible to tell."  
"Then toss me to the cops… and they arrest you too for beating me up!"**_

_He needed to her save her, but he could not. He wanted to kill him yet he spared him because of her. He didn't bother telling her murderer this. _

"_**Have it your way."**_

_The Question knocks the man out and leaves him tied up to a fire hydrant outside Hub City Police Central. Her killer was given a life sentence with no prospects for parole. He didn't know if he could call it justice yet he hopes that he did uphold her last words. Charlie gradually becomes Vic at least until both are memories to the faceless Question and in time the man seems superfluous to hero principles. It is only stays a conviction until Question is drawn towards Huntress whilst in his search for Cadmus. _

_Further onslaught of memory flashbacks only brings him back to why being human held such gravity to everything that happen between him and Huntress… between him and Helena… everything that is love.

* * *

_

His earpiece comlink chirps a few seconds later.

"Vic – I'm waiting on you babydoll," reminds Helena.

"I'm on my way – no need to tell me twice," responds Vic.

[+++]

Both Helena and Vic could see plenty of familiar faces in the crowd, but the Batclan were strangely absent despite the fact that Dinah invited them. Whatever the delay, one hopes… maybe prays that some might show if only to assuage doubts and fears surrounding Batman's prolonged absences from the Metro Tower, but as they well knew, Batman is Batman.

"You're sure you're feeling alright?" Vic softly asks.

"Guess something I ate the other night disagreed with me," Helena quickly answers.

She squeezes his hand and heads off to join the bridesmaids who have been waiting for her. As for Vic, he wonders if Oliver will be ready for marrying up at last.

He could hear Oliver talking to Roy behind the doors ahead of him. Ever so subtly he steps through to find himself also in the presence of Wally West, John Stewart, King Faraday, Clark Kent, and a few others that he rarely saw out of costume.

Meanwhile Helena enters to find Dinah still getting into her wedding gown while the bridesmaid stand ready to help prepare the Maid of Honor who did not expect such an all out setup to prepare her from the biggest wedding she had ever been to. What matters more is he is here and these are her friends – of that she can be certain if nothing else. Somehow for now it feels like all she needs in her life.

She feels nauseous again so she bolts for the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" murmurs Dinah lowly.

"This is the second time I have thrown up today," groans Helena.

"You feel up to the ceremony?" continues Dinah quietly.

"I'll be fine – you have anything in these cabinets for this sort of thing?"

"You better let me look for you… the others will get you ready while I'll look for something."

Diana had the shoes on standby. Shayera temporarily tied back Helena's hair. Beatriz starts on the makeup, which is something Helena hardly wears at all yet for a wedding she would allow it. Mari due to her fashion connections had gotten the best of the best for wedding fashion, which means the dresses and the suits were the finest available to someone like Mari McCabe. Together Mari and Dinah help Helena into her dress since she feels a bit woozy on balance after taking the upset stomach liquid capsules. After she has the dress on Diana helps her with the shoes.

Beatriz leads the way with Wally on her arm and Roy follows up with Tora. The third coupling is Dick and Babs who has been able to walk without the crutches for several weeks now. Diana comes up after them with King. Nobody is going into talk about her infrequent appearances with Bruce Wayne and as for Bruce – he unofficially sent Dick in his place to represent him at the wedding as a gesture that not all the corporate partnerships made in the past year were a part of the conspiracy against the Justice League. Zatanna and Jason had made the trip from England for the wedding. It seems the latest rumors in the League place Zatanna as the current love interest of Jason Blood, but few outside the League are privy to Blood's alter-ego. As for Shayera, she had come with Carter Hall, they were friends, it is an understood association plus she had taken him to Fate after his experience with the mind altering helmet put on him by the Mad Hatter.

Something that got a rather unexpected interest is the sighting of Helena Bertinelli – daughter of the long deceased crime boss Franco Bertinelli – in several years, but many know that Helena keeps a low profile and prefers to leave the past out of the frame. However the past as always is not far from her mind, but there is equal interest in the mysterious red head that she is tightly holding onto. He is even more a mystery than she, but this is a mystery that she needs – can accept – because she loves him. Something similar could be said for him – at least among those who have come to know him, see him more like she sees him, but to the rest they are just an unexpected couple at a rich man's wedding.

Vic takes his place next to Oliver while Helena stands to the other side and winks at Vic. He can feel a smile forming on his face. Others could pass judgment on them yet this couple would not pass it on each other as their partnership had come from following the other into their mistakes. Their partnership quickly became more than that because he had known or suspected that she would be the one to come for him when Luthor turned him over to Captain Atom and the Cadmus Security Forces. Whatever made him step through that doorway and endure Moon's 'sessions' seems even now like him refusing to be broken any further than going after Luthor alone left him yet on a deeper level something within him refuse to give in or give up because of her.

The last couple to appear at the end is Captain Atom wearing a tuxedo and Eve Eden wearing a gown like all the other bridesmaids. Dinah made an insistence that they come even though they had not been part of the original wedding plan made before the New Years Eve Shootout.

All look up the aisle to Dinah Lance now resplendent in her custom wedding gown as she clearly can be seen wearing sheer white nylons, which is a color opposite to her typical grayish black ones worn with her Black Canary attire. However in order to divert attention from her resembling Black Canary, she appears to have gone the darker route with her hair at least for this afternoon. She is arm in arm with Jamie Reyes though one can imagine she would have wanted Ted alive to walk her down the aisle or even her own father, but both men are gone from her life.

It is a beautiful arrangement to have the wedding in the air conditioned ballroom situated atop Oliver's coastal California residence.

Jamie soon separates from her as she goes to stand beside her future husband after all this waiting. Cheers and tears can be heard throughout after the couple read their vows then slip the wedding bands on. They head back towards the limo meant to take them on their way to the first of many stops on the world tour of a honeymoon.

* * *

Captain Atom and Nightshade take flight once more towards the moon even though it won't be visible to this part of Earth for several more hours. It is not the destination, it is the journey, but then such things are a matter of interpretation.

* * *

It is time to move along for even Vic Sage yet as usual Helena Bertinelli is not far behind. So together they too drive off into the sunset with the unknowable future ahead of them.

"Vic… who is Gemma?" asks Helena.

All the same, some times we find that future often makes us all confront the past by degrees.

"She was at first a friend of mine a long time ago... back before the Question and before Vic Sage. Like I told you months my birth name was Charles Victor Szasz and for many years I did answer to Charlie."

"So she first knew you when you were Charlie?"

"Yes and she had treated me better than most of the other kids, but it was still in the days when they still got jumpy at the mention of Soviets and other words associated with Mother's home country."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She was… yet she was also more than that too."

Vic relates his story about the night that Gemma died while he was left to watch her pass away. Shortly thereafter he pulls off the road and into a secluded yet shady spot along the coast.

"Her last words to me were simply her telling me not to change, but in many ways I feel like I haven't kept my unspoken promise to her at least until our lives became tangled together."

"You are still him in all the ways that matter. "

He knew that she knew about the black box.

"When were you planning to ask me?"

"No time like the present."

She laughs softly then opens the box to reveal a platinum ring and her lips meet his after she slides the ring onto her left hand's ring finger.

* * *

A/N 1: Flashbacks galore (Then/Now Contrast) and done in a sort of Watchmen style. Also Illuminati Returns to pay Question another visit.

A/N 2: Dinah and Oliver marry at last while Vic finally proposes to Helena.

A/N 3: The Gemma Flashback is modeled around dialogue from **Halo Legends** segment Ghost. One might ask you got the idea from Halo, but as a writer I follow the muse's tangent without question (no pun).

A/N 4: This is not an End or an Epilogue... it just simply is.__


End file.
